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n a recent solo rally, J.D. Vance, after joining Donald Trump’s team, pledged to fight for American workers in Middletown, Ohio. Despite growing up in Cincinnati suburbs, Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy details his rise from Appalachia’s struggles. However, upon deeper analysis, the book echoes anti-Black stereotypes used to criticize welfare—showcasing the historical exclusion of Black Americans from government assistance.
Vance and Trump aim to entice white working-class voters by harnessing racial anxieties, a tactic used for decades. From the Civil War era to the present day, government aid discriminated against Black Americans. Despite some progress in the 20th century, propaganda demonizing welfare recipients as ‘welfare queens’ persisted.
Vance’s political career centers around exploiting these narratives, mirroring past conservative strategies. By leveraging racial stereotypes and exploiting ideas of who deserves assistance, Vance seeks to rise to power without addressing underlying issues faced by the working class he claims to champion.
Joshua Howard is a Ph.D. student in Emory University’s Graduate Division of Religion, focusing on American evangelicalism, Christian nationalism, and the nuclear family.
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