NOTE: Faculty, if you are interviewed and quoted by news media, or if your work has been cited, and you have an online link to the article or video, please let us know. Contact us at news@csusb.edu.  

Kamala Harris's rebranding could make her 'more sympathetic,' CSUSB professor says
Newsweek
July 16, 2024

Meredith Conroy, a professor of political science at California State University, San Bernardino, told Newsweek that Vice President Kamala Harris would be wise to embrace memes about her that have gone viral on social media as Democrats aim to reintroduce Harris to voters.

"If her campaign embraces the ridicule out there, they are able to be part of the joke instead of the butt of the joke. I wouldn't go so far as to say it makes her relatable, but maybe more sympathetic," she said.

Harris has garnered new attention as President Joe Biden faces calls from Democrats to withdraw from the presidential race following his shaky debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month, which did little to quell concerns about his age among voters.

Political fear mongering isn’t responsive to facts, retired CSUSB professor says
Los Angeles Times
July 18, 2024

Brian Levin, founding director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was interviewed for an article that reports, despite studies to the contrary, the messaging at the Republican National Convention continues to paint migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border as dangerous gang members, sex traffickers and terrorists who put American families “at great risk.”

Levin said most targeted violence is committed by young, white men in their teens and early 20s. Studies show immigrants commit less crime than U.S.-born citizens.
But political fear mongering isn’t responsive to facts, Levin said, which is why the GOP will continue blaming immigrants for violent crime.

“The anecdotal image, the scary image of somebody who is different is going to be what sells that fear,” he said. “Political theater involves the construction, or at least amplification or exaggeration of grievances, and that’s problematic.”

CSUSB’s Brian Levin discusses the power of political rhetoric to incite violence
Los Angeles Times
July 17, 2024

Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino, was interviewed about the effect of political rhetoric and its power to incite violence in days since the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a campaign rally. Levin said such data are everywhere — and undeniable.

Hate crimes against Black people, Levin said, rose when Trump used harsh language to condemn Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020. They rose against Asian people when Trump used anti-Chinese rhetoric in speaking about COVID-19. They rose against Latinos when Trump stoked fears about “caravans” of migrants arriving on the southern border.

Levin said “hate rhetoric” is always high during election years, and that everyone — voters, candidates and Trump especially — would be wise to “tone it down.”

Levin said Trump’s next move — and his Thursday speech — matter, but how he and others continue to discuss the stakes of the race from now until November will matter more.

Inland Empire leaders see ‘buffet of hate’ as discriminatory attacks and bias increase
Cal Matters
July 18, 2024

Hate crimes have risen in recent years, but the scapegoats vary with the political winds, several experts said Tuesday at a panel discussion about combating hate in the Inland Empire. “Hate crimes have gone up in every presidential election year,” said Brian Levin, founder of the Cal State San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism who moderated the panel sponsored by Zócalo Public Square and California Humanities in Riverside.

CSUSB’s Brian Levin serves as moderator for ‘How Does the Inland Empire Strike Back Against Hate?’
Zócalo Public Square
July 16, 2024

Brian Levin, founding director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was the moderator for Zócalo Public Square’s event, “How Does the Inland Empire Strike Back Against Hate?” At the event, panelists discussed the region’s history of discrimination and violence and examine current efforts that bring justice to the Inland Empire.

Participating on the panel were state Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson (a CSUSB alumnus), Mapping Black California project director Candice Mays, and ACLU SoCal senior policy advocate and organizer Luis Nolasco.

These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”