How 'Fascism' became a meme

The word "fascism" is being thrown around a lot right now. Does it capture our current cultural and political moment?Nearly 50% of Americans have associated President Trump with "fascism." Trump himself has used the word against his own opponents. Others have used the word to denounce skinny-tok as "body fascism." But why are Americans so willing to use the word? And is its ubiquity making it lose its meaning? In this episode, Brittany is joined by Nicholas Ensley Mitchell, a professor of education and policy at the University of Kansas and author of "On Bigotry: Twenty Lessons on How Bigotry Works and What to Do About It." He explains how Black Americans mapped the blueprint for fighting fascism in America, and questions whether the word "fascism" fits our current moment.(0:00) How 'Fascism" solidified 'American' identity(5:32) Why 'Fascist' is a useful word for the right and the left(12:45) Why the civil rights movement is a model for fighting fascism(17:39) Is *this* a better word than 'fascism' for this moment?Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy