Dehumanization is the psychological process of demonizing an enemy, making them seem less than human and hence not worthy of humane treatment. This can lead to increased violence, as it psychologically distances aggressors from their actions.
Source: Smith, D. (2011). *Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others*. St. Martin's Press.
DEI initiatives are policies and programs that aim to foster representation and participation of diverse groups of people, including people of different genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, religions, cultures, ages, and sexual orientations. They are designed to counteract historical and systemic exclusion and discrimination.
Source: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
A personality type characterized by a high degree of submission to authorities, aggression towards outgroups, and adherence to social conventions. Individuals high in RWA tend to see the world as a dangerous place and are drawn to strong leaders who promise order and security.
Source: Altemeyer, B. (1996). *The Authoritarian Specter*. Harvard University Press.
A personality trait measuring an individual's support for group-based hierarchies. People high in SDO believe that society should be structured in terms of group-based dominance and are comfortable with inequality between social groups.
Source: Pratto, F., Sidanius, J., Stallworth, L. M., & Malle, B. F. (1994). Social dominance orientation: A personality variable predicting social and political attitudes. *Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67*(4), 741–763.
The scientific consensus is that race is not a biological reality. There are no genes that are present in all members of one so-called race and absent in all members of another. Instead, race is an idea created by societies to categorize people, often for the purpose of justifying inequality and oppression.
Source: American Association of Physical Anthropologists (2019). *AAPA Statement on Race & Racism*.
Systemic racism is a form of racism that is embedded as normal practice within society or an organization. It can lead to such issues as discrimination in criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power, and education. It is not necessarily about individual racist acts, but about how systems and institutions are structured to produce racially unequal outcomes.
Source: Feagin, J. (2006). *Systemic Racism: A Theory of Oppression*. Routledge.
An Investigative Report
The perception of rising public prejudice, often linked to the political ascendancy of Donald Trump, has prompted a search for understanding. This report moves beyond partisan critique to provide an evidence-based analysis of how prejudice is formed, activated by political rhetoric, and embedded within our institutions.
We will investigate the core science of social identity and cognitive bias, dismantle the concept of "race" as a genetic reality, and examine racism as a powerful systemic force. Finally, we will synthesize these findings to offer evidence-based pathways toward a more equitable future.
Policy, Rhetoric, and the Reinforcement of Group Boundaries
Political language is a powerful tool for social categorization. The rhetoric employed during the Trump presidency consistently utilized themes of dehumanization, racial tropes, and in-group defense to create and polarize social groups.
The administration's rhetoric was translated into institutional practice through a series of executive orders designed to systematically dismantle federal policies promoting equity, particularly DEI initiatives, which were reframed as a form of "race-based discrimination."
Executive orders were signed to ban DEI programs across the federal government. The administration also used federal research funding as leverage, freezing $108 million in funding to Duke University, accusing the school of "vile racism" in its affirmative action policies.
Source: The Times of India, July 2025; Wikipedia
Immigration policies became the most concrete expression of in-group/out-group boundary enforcement, including mass expulsion policies, "Remain in Mexico," and the family separation policy, which a federal judge described as "one of the most shameful chapters in the history of our country."
Psychological Foundations of Prejudice
Prejudice is not simply a character flaw; it is an outgrowth of normal human cognitive functions. Our brains are wired to create mental shortcuts (stereotypes) to simplify a complex world. Our social nature then provides a powerful engine for prejudice through in-group favoritism and out-group derogation.
While these tendencies are universal, certain personality traits make some individuals particularly receptive to divisive political messaging:
Inflammatory speech from elite figures can act as a "permission slip," signaling to individuals with latent biases that the social cost of expressing prejudice has been lowered. This is known as the "emboldening effect."
Multiple analyses have found a correlation between the locations of Trump campaign rallies and subsequent spikes in local hate crimes. After his "Chinese Virus" tweets, anti-Asian hate incidents spiked dramatically, particularly in counties that supported him.
Source: NBER Working Paper, 2022; SPLC
Deconstructing Race and Systemic Racism
The idea that humanity is divided into distinct biological races has been definitively refuted. All humans share 99.9% of their DNA. The vast majority of genetic variation exists *within* any so-called racial group, not between them. Race is a social construct, an invention to justify hierarchy and oppression.
While race isn't real, racism is. It's a system embedded in our laws, policies, and institutions. Historical injustices like slavery and redlining created vast inequalities in wealth and opportunity that compound over generations, perpetuating a racial hierarchy.
The median wealth for a white family in the U.S. is many times that of Black and Hispanic families. This is a direct legacy of policies that systematically blocked people of color from accumulating generational wealth.
Source: Federal Reserve
Evidence-Based Pathways Toward a Re-United Society
The quagmire of hatred is a social architecture, not an inevitable state. Because it is human-made, it can be unmade. A path forward requires a multi-pronged commitment grounded in science, structural change, and responsible leadership.
We must unequivocally reject the biological fiction of race and actively educate our communities about the scientific consensus on human variation.
We must acknowledge that racism is a system and work to dismantle the policies—in housing, education, and justice—that perpetuate inequality.
We must intentionally create opportunities for positive, equal-status contact between groups, a strategy proven to reduce prejudice (Intergroup Contact Theory).
We must demand that our leaders, media, and cultural institutions use their power to unite rather than divide, emphasizing a common in-group identity for all.
With a foundation of scientific understanding and a collective will to act, we possess the tools to build a more just, unified, and humane world.