Erasing History

Jason Stanley, a Yale professor and the author of How Fascism Works, examines in Erasing History the authoritarian right's campaign to undo a century of progress toward social justice on race, gender, sexuality and class. He combines historical research with a close reading of today's political landscape and issues a stark warning to America.

His central argument is that the worst fascist movements in history began in schools, and that many right-wing parties now aim their fiercest attacks at the same place. He names Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Vladimir Putin, Turkey's Recep Erdogan and Argentina's Javier Milei as leaders who have reached the same conclusion: if you want to roll back civil rights, equity and inclusion, schools are a good place to start.

Stanley traces where these tactics draw their inspiration and funding, linking them to some of the most dangerous ideas in human history. He argues that hearts and minds are won in elementary schools, high schools and universities, and that governments are poorly prepared to resist fascist policies pushed onto children through school boards, courtrooms and the boardrooms of companies that train teachers and produce classroom materials. The book is meant as a call to action for supporters of democracy around the world.