9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Imagine a place 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where your neighbors[br]greet your children by name, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a place with splendid vistas, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a place where you[br]can drive just 20 minutes 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and put your sailboat on the water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a seductive place, isn't it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don't live there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I did journey 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on a 27,000 mile trip for two years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the fastest-growing[br]and whitest counties in America. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What is a Whitopia? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I define Whitopia in three ways. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 First, a Whitopia has posted at least[br]six percent population growth since 2000. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Secondly, the majority of that growth 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 comes from white migrants, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and third, the Whitopia has[br]an ineffable charm, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a pleasant look and feel, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a je ne sais quoi. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 To learn how and why[br]Whitopias are ticking, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I immersed myself[br]for several months apiece 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in three of them: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 first, St. George, Utah; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 second, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and third, Forsyth County, Georgia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 First stop, St. George, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a beautiful town of red rock landscapes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In the 1850s, Brigham Young[br]dispatched families to St. George 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to grow cotton because[br]of the hot, arid climate, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so they called it Utah's Dixie, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the name sticks to this day. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I approached my time in each Whitopia[br]like an anthropologist. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I made detailed spreadsheets of all[br]the power brokers in the communities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who I needed to meet,[br]where I needed to be, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I threw myself with gusto[br]in these communities. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I went to zoning board meetings, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I went to Democratic clubs[br]and Republican clubs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I went to poker nights. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In St. George, I rented[br]a home at the Entrada, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 one of the town's[br]premiere gated communities. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There were no Motel 6's[br]or Howard Johnsons for me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I lived in Whitopia as a resident, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and not like a visitor. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I rented myself this home by phone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Golf is the perfect seductive[br]symbol of Whitopia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When I went on my journey, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I had barely ever held a golf club. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 By the time I left, I was golfing[br]at least three times a week. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Golf helps people bond. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some of the best interviews I ever scored 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 during my trip were on the golf courses. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One venture capitalist, for example,[br]invited me to golf 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in his private club 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that had no minority members. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I also went fishing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because I had never fished,[br]this fellow had to teach me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how to cast my line and what bait to use. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I also played poker every weekend. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was Texas Hold 'Em with a $10 buy-in. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My poker mates may have been bluffing[br]about the hands that they drew, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but they weren't bluffing[br]about their social beliefs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some of the most raw,[br]salty conversations I ever had 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 during my journey were at the poker table. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm a gung ho entertainer. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I love to cook, I hosted[br]many dinner parties, and in return, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 people invited me to their dinner parties, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to their barbecues,[br]and to their pool parties, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to their birthday parties. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it wasn't all fun. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Immigration turned out to be[br]a big issue in this Whitopia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The St. George's Citizens Council[br]on Illegal Immigration 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 held regular and active protests[br]against immigration, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so what I gleaned from this Whitopia[br]is what a hot debate this would become. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was a real time preview, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so it has become. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Next stop, Almost Heaven, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a cabin I rented for myself 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in Coeur d'Alene, in the beautiful[br]north Idaho panhandle. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I rented this place for myself[br]also by phone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The book "A Thousand Places[br]To See Before You Die" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 lists Coeur d'Alene. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a gorgeous paradise[br]for huntsmen, boatsmen, and fishermen. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My growing golf skills[br]came in handy in Coeur d'Alene. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I golf with retired LAPD cops. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In 1993, around 11,000 families[br]and cops fled Los Angeles 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 after the L.A. racial unrest[br]for north Idaho, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they've built[br]an ex-patriated community. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Given the conservatism of these cops, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 there's no surprise that north Idaho[br]has a strong gun culture. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, it is said, north Idaho[br]has more gun dealers than gas stations. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what's a resident to do to fit in? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I hit the gun club. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When I rented a gun,[br]the gentleman behind the counter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was perfectly pleasant and kind, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until I showed him[br]my New York City driver's license. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's when he got nervous. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm not as bad a shot[br]as I thought I might have been. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What I learned from north Idaho 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is the peculiar brand of paranoia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that can permeate a community 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when so many cops and guns are around. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In north Idaho, in my red pickup truck, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I kept a notepad, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and in that notepad I counted[br]more Confederate flags than black people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In north Idaho, I found Confederate flags[br]on keychains, on cellphone paraphernalia, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and on cars. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 About a seven minute drive[br]from my hidden lake cabin 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was the compound of Aryan Nations, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the white supremacist group. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 America's Promise ministry, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the religious arm of Aryan Nations, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 happened to have a three day[br]retreat during my visit, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so I decided to crash it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm the only non-Aryan journalist[br]I'm aware of ever to have done so. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Among the many memorable[br]episodes of that retreat 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is when Abe, an Aryan,[br]sidled up next to me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He slapped my knee, and he said, "Hey Rich,[br]I just want you to know one thing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We are not white supremacists.[br]We are white separatists. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We don't think we're better than you, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we just want to be away from you." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Indeed, most white people in Whitopia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are neither white supremacists[br]or white separatists. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, they're not there[br]for explicitly racial reasons at all. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Rather, they emigrate there[br]for friendliness, comfort, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 security, safety, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 reasons that they implicitly[br]associate to whiteness in itself. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Next stop was Georgia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In Georgia, I stayed in an exurb[br]north of Atlanta. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In Utah, I found poker. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in Idaho, I found guns. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In Georgia, I found God. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The way that I immersed myself[br]in this Whitopia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was to become active[br]at First Redeemer Church, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a megachurch that's so huge[br]that it has golf carts 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to escort the congregants around[br]its many parking lots on campus. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was active in the youth ministry, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and for me, personally, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was more comfortable in this Whitopia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than say, in a Colorado, or an Idaho,[br]or even a suburban Boston. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That is because here in Georgia, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 white people and black people are more[br]historically familiar to one another. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was less exotic in this Whitopia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what does it all mean? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Whitopian dreaming, Whitopia migration, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is a push-pull phenomenon, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 full of alarming pushes[br]and alluring pulls, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and Whitopia operates at the level[br]of conscious and unconscious bias. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's possible for people to be in Whitopia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 not for racist reasons, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 though it has racist outcomes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many Whitopians feel pushed by illegals, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 social welfare abuse, minorities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 density, crowded schools. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many Whitopians feel pulled by merit, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 freedom, the allure of privatism, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 privatized places, privatized people, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 privatized things. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I learned in Whitopia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how a country can have racism 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without racists. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many of my smug urban liberal friends 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 couldn't believe I would go[br]on such a venture. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The reality is that many white Americans 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are affable and kind. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Interpersonal race relations, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how we treat each other as human beings, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is vastly better than in[br]my parents' generation. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Can you imagine me going[br]to Whitopia 40 years ago? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What a journey that would have been. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And yet some things haven't changed. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 America is as residentially 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and educationally segregated today 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as it was in 1970. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As Americans, we often find ways[br]to cook for each other, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to dance with each other, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to host with each other, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but why can't that translate[br]into how we treat each other 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as communities? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a devastating irony, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how we have gone forward as individuals 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and backward as communities. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One of the Whitopian outlooks 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that really hit me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was a proverbial saying: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "One black man[br]is a delightful dinner guest, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 50 black men is a ghetto." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One of the big contexts 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 animating my Whitopian journey 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was the year 2042. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 By 2042, white people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will no longer be the American majority. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As such, will there be more Whitopias? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In looking at this,[br]the danger of Whitopia is 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that the more segregation we have, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the less we can look at and confront 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 conscious and unconscious bias. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I ventured on my two-year,[br]27,000 mile journey 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to learn where, why, and how[br]white people are fleeing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I didn't expect to have[br]so much fun on my journey. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I didn't expect to learn[br]so much about myself. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don't expect I'll be living[br]in a Whitopia 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or a Blacktopia, for that matter. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I do plan to continue golfing[br]every chance I get. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I'll just have to leave the guns[br]and megachurches back in Whitopia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause)