When looking up the definition of ‘disrupt’ in the New Oxford American Dictionary, it is

defined as, “verb. interrupt…by casting a disturbance or problem.” Rich Benjamin, American

critic, anthropologist, and author, admits to the negative connotation which has attached itself to

the word, but proposes that disruption can be a catalyst for positive change.

On Tuesday night, Benjamin spoke to a crowd at Elon University, telling his story about

immersing himself in what he calls a whitopia and what followed after his residency in three zip

codes. Benjamin defines a whitopia as, “a community which has had more than 6% growth since

2000, 90% of that said growth coming from white migrants, and an ineffable social charm”

He resided and involved himself in three communities: St. George, Utah, Coeur d’Alene,

Idaho and Forsyth County, Georgia. Through his experiences, he realized that “there are not

racists and white supremacists, but it is about a separation in the affinity of values.”

Benjamin explained that they operate on different levels of conscious and unconscious

bias. Their values of, “good property values, friendliness, orderliness, and safety” play into their

unconscious bias, creating “alarming pushes and alluring pulls” which form whitopias. These

pushes come from the unconscious bias, where whitopians are driven away from “illegals,

government interference, high taxes, and crowded schools.” Because of unconscious segregation,

as well as systemic racism, these communities tend to attract an outdated mindset based on

values of the past.

 Benjamin used the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia as a “recent,

pretentious example” of fear in disruption. He emphasized the drive of the protesters; how their

discomfort stemmed from the disruption of America as they knew it (cue Make America Great

Again chants). “When David Duke showed up and said that they were there to fulfill Trump’s

promise to take America back…” Benjamin paused dramatically and then declared, “Take back

America from who? They chanted ‘The Jews will not replace us.’” Benjamin emphasized the

word ‘replace.’ Through golf tournaments, shooting at targets, and attending political fundraisers

in whitopian counties, Benjamin came to the conclusion that people are scared of being replaced

economically, culturally, politically and demographically.

The three whitopias where Benjamin lived were all majority Trump voting counties. Of

all 284 whitopiain counties, Trump won 267 of them. Sixty-seven percent of votes in whitopias

were for Trump, whereas 46 percent of Americans voted for Trump. The statistics show that

these areas have pull in the political sphere, but it also shows that America as a whole does not

have as much of a say as the whitopias do.

Statistics such as the electoral vote overpowering the popular vote show disruption, for

white supremacists, as well as whitopians, recognized that they have more sway than expected.

Benjamin made Charlottesville clear example of a fearful reaction to disruption, but inquired the

audience at Elon to take hopeful action in response instead. He instilled excitement in the crowd

talking about the opportunities which come with the direction America is going in. “America is

more sustainable, young people will not have to climb the ranks of a corporate ladder,” Benjamin
said, “Use positive force to evade the gatekeepers and negative energy…feel better and

empowered.”