Review - Searching For Whitopia by Rich Benjamin
An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America
Oct 18, 2009
Between 2007 and 2009, black scholar and journalist Rich Benjamin traveled over 26,000 miles to search out and live in some of the fastest growing, whitest locales in our nation…places he calls “whitopias.” Benjamin’s recently published Searching For Whitopia (Hyperion 2009) is the result of his travels through white America, including extended stays in three of these whitopias.
Author Rich Benjamin's Definition of Whitopia
A whitopia, according to Benjamin, is whiter than the nation, its respective region, and its state. It has seen at least a 6 percent population growth since 2000 (almost exclusively white), “and has a je ne sais quoi —an ineffable charm, has a pleasant look and feel.” They could also be described as white enclaves, towns or “exurbs” where whites are relocating to be among whites…and only whites.
Rich Benjamin holds a Ph.D in Literature from Stanford and is a Senior Fellow at Demos, a non-partisan national think tank based in New York City. He is also a journalist/adventurer full of sharp insight and wry wit. His journey took him to every corner of the U.S., and to several-month stays in St. George, Utah; Coeur D’Alene, Idaho; and Forsyth County, Georgia.
The author’s goal was not only to see why these places are growing so quickly, but what makes them tick. While statistics document white flight from cities, inner-ring suburbs, and highly diverse communities in a very helpful way, Benjamin says "understanding the spirit of a people and the essence of a place really requires firsthand experience. I embedded myself in three Whitopias for three to four months each."
Black Journalist Benjamin Welcomed Into White Enclave Communities
Interestingly, what could have been disastrous (a black writer digging into self-segregated white communities) was nothing of the sort. Benjamin met with seemingly genuine welcomes in each of the locales. He posed as a homebuyer and actually toured several sale properties, helping him get a feel for how these folks were living. He also told locals he was researching a book on boomtowns and various growth factors including political, environmental and racial. He did not, however, mention the books title, for obvious reasons.
Almost certainly, much of Benjamin's welcome was in response to his outgoing, likable personality, a trait that comes off the page (and is confirmed on the film clips on his website: Rich Benjamin.com). The author made friends quickly, from poker buddies to community activist old ladies he called "clouds" (for their poofy white hair-dos). An uncanny ability to get these folks to talk lend a great deal to the book, as the author hobnobs at dinner parties, at church gatherings and on the back porches of whitopias around the country.
By 2042, Whites Will No Longer be the Majority in America
Benjamin is not interested in black vs. white talk, it's passe, he feels. The U.S. is quickly becoming a globally diverse mix, and whitopias are just a part of the reaction to it. The fact that, by 2042, whites will no longer be the majority in America is one of the central themes around which Benjamin works. He steers clear of political opinion as best he can within a subject that is bound to be rife with it. His interest is in documenting the "why's" of the movement first.
Rich Benjamin's Searching For Whitopia has the feel of a book that is going to be talked about, referred to, and regarded as the exemplary document of the "white flight" phenomenom of the 21st century. In revealing the social and political implications behind these white-only communites—some surprising, some not so—the author tackles a subject that will only become more controversial in the days ahead. As such, it is a must-read for everyone.
Benjamin, Rich. Searching For Whitopia, 2009 Hyperion, New York, 354 pages. (ISBN: 13-978-1401322687).
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