Ohio’s Political Crossroads:

Supremacy, Authoritarianism, and the Battle for Democracy

By: Vix Burgett-Prunty

As Ohio grapples with a wave of far-right legislation, extremist mobilization, and rapid demographic change, the state has become a microcosm of the broader national struggle against white supremacy culture and authoritarian governance. Three key developments: the anti-DEI crusade in higher education, the defeat of redistricting reform, and the rise of white nationalist groups all reveal how systemic racism, political polarization, and economic anxiety are being weaponized to consolidate power for a reactionary minority.

The Anti-DEI Campaign: Erasing Marginalized Voices

Ohio’s Senate Bill 1, a sweeping ban on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs in public universities, exemplifies how white supremacy culture operates through bureaucratic suppression. The bill:

• Bans DEIA offices, scholarships, and trainings, dismantling support systems for Black, brown, indigenous and other students of color, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, and first-generation scholars.

• Prohibits universities from endorsing "controversial" topics, including climate change, abortion, and immigration—effectively censoring academic freedom. (Who's determining what is controversial? What is the criteria for making this determination?)

• Eliminates tenure protections, enabling the purging of faculty who challenge conservative orthodoxy.

This aligns with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a second Trump term, which seeks to dismantle DEIA nationwide under the guise of combating "woke ideology". Critics argue the bill is less about meritocracy and more about enforcing a white Christian nationalist vision of education, where marginalized perspectives are silenced. As University of Cincinnati professor Susan Gregson warns, these policies will drive away students and faculty, exacerbating Ohio’s brain drain and harming the economy .

Gerrymandering and the Defeat of Redistricting Reform

Ohio’s failed 2024 ballot initiative (Issue 1), which sought to replace politician-led redistricting with an independent citizen commission, underscores how white supremacy thrives on electoral manipulation. The existing system, controlled by GOP lawmakers, has produced heavily gerrymandered maps that dilute Black and urban votes, ensuring Republican supermajorities despite Ohio’s nearly even partisan split .

Forced at play:

• Opponents, funded by GOP dark money, framed the reform as a "Democrat takeover," leveraging racialized fear-mongering .

• Trump endorsed the "no" campaign, reinforcing the right’s strategy of minority rule through voter suppression and map-rigging.

• The status quo entrenches white political dominance, as communities of interest (e.g., Black-majority districts in Cleveland) are fractured to favor rural, conservative voters .

This defeat ensures that Ohio’s governance will remain skewed toward an unrepresentative, reactionary faction; a hallmark of white supremacist systems that prioritize power over democracy.

White Nationalist Mobilization and the Scapegoating of Immigrants

Ohio is home to nearly 50 white extremist groups, including the Blood Tribe, Proud Boys, and neo-Nazi networks, which have intensified activities since Trump’s 2024 campaign reignited racist conspiracy theories. In Springfield, false claims about Haitian immigrants "eating pets" fueled KKK marches, bomb threats, and violent rhetoric.

Underlying this extremism:

• Economic dislocation: The loss of 360,000 manufacturing jobs since 1990 has bred resentment, which white nationalists exploit by blaming immigrants and "elites" .

• Demographic panic: Ohio’s white population dropped from 81% to 77% since 2010, while Haitian, Hispanic, and Asian communities grow—triggering a "replacement theory" backlash.

• State complicity: GOP leaders like Sen. Jerry Cirino (sponsor of SB 1) dismiss opposition as "bad guys going nuts," normalizing extremist rhetoric .

These groups, emboldened by Trump’s dehumanizing language and Project 2025’s xenophobic policies, see Ohio as a battleground for their race-war fantasies .

Resistance and the Path Forward

Ohio’s political crisis reflects a national authoritarian playbook:

1. Suppress dissent (via anti-DEIA laws).

2. Rig the system (through gerrymandering).

3. Mobilize extremists (with racist scapegoating).

Yet resistance persists. Student protests, like the 1,000-person march at Ohio State, and community-led efforts to counter hate groups show that Ohioans are fighting back . The question is whether democratic coalitions can outorganize the forces of white supremacy before the state’s institutions are irreversibly captured. Fighting back takes more than marching or rallies. These tools are a beginning not a solution.

As Tema Okun, scholar of white supremacy culture, warns: "The attack on DEI is central to an agenda of decimation". Ohio’s future hinges on recognizin and dismantling this machinery of oppression.

Check out this article by Kokayi Nosakhere: https://60kandbelow.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-white-innocence?r=4zs2hy

Sources:

The New Republic (https://newrepublic.com/article/192485/ohio-republican-dei-higher-education)

Ballotpedia (https://ballotpedia.org/Ohio_Issue_1)

The Nation (https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/ohio-republicans-higher-education/)

The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/though-home-to-about-50-white-extremist-groups-ohios-social-and-political-landscape-is-undergoing-rapid-racial-change-239997)

BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do)

White Supremacy Culture (https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/)

📸: Kokayi Nosakhere