Chapter 4: Disrupting Christian Normalcy in U.S. Elementary Schools: The Potential of Idealism in a System of Forced Neutrality

The current era is characterized by increased globalization as well as a concurrent and contradictory global rise in dangerous nationalisms. Since the presidential election in 2016, we have witnessed a rise in political polarization, rampant distrust in media, and an uptick in public displays of racism. The insurrection on the Capitol January 6, 2021 has been interpreted as a Christian revolt and a White Christian nationalist movement, which has deep roots in a myth that America was founded by White, Protestant, Christian men. This version of America positions the power and prosperity of the nation in the hands of White Christians, and places outsiders as a threat to that power (Gorski et al., 2022). Essentially, White Christian nationalism as a narrative that rooted in the earliest inception of “White people were here first,” is why “Make America Great Again” sounded so comfortable and natural for many White folks (Blake, 2022).