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'{{short description|Political scientist}} {{Multiple issues| {{Lead rewrite|date=May 2020}} {{Lead too short|date=May 2020}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox person |name = Carol Swain |image = Carol Swain at Miller Center (cropped).jpg |caption = Swain in 2013 |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|3|7}} |birth_place = [[Bedford, Virginia]], U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |education = [[Virginia Western Community College]]<br />[[Roanoke College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[Virginia Tech]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br />[[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])<br />[[Yale University]] ([[Master of Studies in Law|MLS]]) |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (until 2000s)<br />[[Independent voter|Independent]] (2000s–2009)<br />[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (2009–present) |employer = [[Princeton University]] (1990–1999)<br />[[Vanderbilt University]] (1999–2017) |occupation = University professor, author, media host |spouse = ''Divorced'' |children = 2 sons<br>1 daughter }} '''Carol Miller Swain''' (born March 7, 1954) is a retired [[professor]] of [[political science]] and law at [[Vanderbilt University]]. A frequent [[Conservatism|conservative]] television analyst, she is the [[author]] and [[editor]] of several books. Her interests include [[race relations]], [[immigration]], representation, [[Christian right|evangelical politics]], and the [[United States Constitution]]. == Early life == Carol Miller Swain was born on March 7, 1954, in [[Bedford, Virginia]], one of twelve children.<ref name="upfrompoverty">{{cite journal |last= |first= |title=Up From Poverty: The Remarkable Career of Professor Carol Swain |journal=[[The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education]] |volume= |issue=37 |pages=66–67 |jstor=3134294 | date = Autumn 2002 |doi=10.2307/3134294}}</ref><ref name="nationalreviewkathryn">[[Kathryn Jean Lopez]], [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/284078/being-faithful-founding-interview Being Faithful to a Founding: A college professor talks good sense], ''[[National Review]]'', November 28, 2011</ref><ref name="vanderbiltlaw">[http://law.vanderbilt.edu/swain Vanderbilt University: Author presentation: Carol M. Swain]</ref><ref name="roanokecollegepress">{{cite web|url=http://roanoke.edu/News_and_Events/News_Archive/Copenhaver_Scholar_Events.htm|title=Visiting Scholar's Program Offerings Announced|work=Roanoke College|accessdate=February 28, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029041706/http://roanoke.edu/News_and_Events/News_Archive/Copenhaver_Scholar_Events.htm |archivedate=October 29, 2014}}</ref> Her father dropped out of school in the third grade and her mother dropped out in high school.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> Her stepfather used to [[domestic violence|physically abuse her mother]], Dorothy Henderson, who is disabled due to [[Poliomyelitis|infantile paralysis]].<ref name="pjtobia">{{cite web |first=P.J. |last=Tobia |url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/a-woman-apart/Content?oid=1196863 |title=A Woman Apart: How a Nashville academic, born poor and black, has become a conservative mouthpiece 'speaking truth to a world that doesn't want to hear it' |website=Nashville Scene |date=July 5, 2008 }}</ref> Swain grew up in poverty, living in a [[shack]] without running water, and sharing two beds with her eleven siblings.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> The second of twelve children, she did not have shoes and thus missed school whenever it snowed.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> She did not finish high school, dropping out in ninth grade.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /><ref name="pjtobia" /> She moved to [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] with her family in the 1960s and appealed to a judge to be transferred to a foster home, which was denied. Swain instead lived with her grandmother in a [[trailer park]].<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> After she divorced in 1975, Swain earned a [[GED]] and worked as a cashier at [[McDonald's]], a [[door-to-door]] salesperson, and an assistant in a retirement facility.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> She later earned an [[associate degree]] from [[Virginia Western Community College]].<ref name="vanderbiltlaw" /><ref name="roanokecollegepress" /> She went on to earn a ''magna cum laude'' [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[criminal justice]] from [[Roanoke College]] and a master's degree in political science from [[Virginia Tech]].<ref name="vanderbiltlaw" /><ref name="roanokecollegepress" /> While an undergraduate at Roanoke College, she organized a scholarship fund for black students that by 2002 had an endowment of $350,000.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> She finished a [[Ph.D.]] in political science from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] in 1989.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /><ref name="vanderbiltlaw" /><ref name="roanokecollegepress" /> In 2000, she earned a [[Master of Studies in Law|Master of Legal Studies]] from [[Yale Law School]].<ref name="vanderbiltlaw" /><ref name="roanokecollegepress" /> == Professional career == Swain received tenure as an [[associate professor]] of politics and public policy at [[Princeton University]].<ref name="vanderbiltlaw" /><ref name="roanokecollegepress" /><ref name="bethepeople">{{Cite web |url=http://bethepeopletv.com/about-carol-swain/ |title=Be the People: About Carol Swain |access-date=January 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116101604/http://bethepeopletv.com/about-carol-swain/ |archive-date=January 16, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 1999 to 2017, she taught political science and law at [[Vanderbilt University]].<ref name="vanderbiltlaw" /><ref name="bethepeople" /> She retired from her post at Vanderbilt in 2017.<ref name="Inside Higher Ed">{{cite news|last1=Flaherty|first1=Colleen|title=Carole Swain to retire from Vanderbilt|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/01/25/carol-swain-retire-vanderbilt|accessdate=25 January 2017|work=Inside Higher Ed|date=25 January 2017}}</ref> Her first academic book, ''Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress'', was published by [[Harvard University Press]] in 1993.<ref name="bullockreview">{{cite journal |last=Bullock |first=Charles S. III |title=Reviewed Work: Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress by Carol M. Swain|journal=The Georgia Historical Quarterly |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=656–658 |jstor=40582858 | date = Fall 1993}}</ref><ref name="jphillipthompsonreview">{{cite journal |last=Thompson |first=J. Phillip III |title=Reviewed Work: Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress by Carol M. Swain|journal=Political Science Quarterly |volume=108 |issue=4 |pages=743–744 | jstor = 2152414 | date = Winter 1993 |doi=10.2307/2152414}}</ref><ref name="mcclainreview">{{cite journal |last=McClain |first=Paula D. |title=Reviewed Work: Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress. by Carol M. Swain|journal=The Journal of Politics |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=1145–1148 | jstor = 2132080 | date = November 1994 |doi=10.2307/2132080}}</ref><ref name="marvinoverbyreview">{{cite journal |last=Overby |first=L. Marvin | title = Book review: ''Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress'' by Carol M. Swain | journal = [[Public Choice (journal)|Public Choice]] | volume = 83 | issue = 3–4 | pages = 386–390 | doi = 10.1007/BF01047753 | jstor = 30026994 | date = June 1995 |s2cid=53439145 | ref = harv }}</ref><ref name="valellyreview">{{cite journal |last=Valelly |first=Richard M. |title=Reviewed Work: Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress by Carol M. Swain|journal=Journal of Policy Analysis and Management |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=346–350 | doi = 10.2307/3325163 | jstor = 3325163 | date = Spring 1995 }}</ref><ref name="diannemreview">{{cite journal |last=Pinderhughes |first=Dianne M. |title=Reviewed Works: Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress by Carol M. Swain; From Protest to Politics: The New Black Voters in American Elections by Katherine Tate|journal=American Political Science Review |volume=88 |issue=4 |pages=1008–1010 | jstor = 2082752 | date = December 1994 |doi=10.2307/2082752}}</ref> It was the recipient of the [[D.B. Hardeman Prize]] as well as the [[American Political Science Association]]'s Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Woodrow Wilson Award Winners – American Political Science Association|url=http://www.apsanet.org/media/Woodrow%20Wilson%20Foundation%20Award.pdf}}</ref> Her third book, published in 2002, was ''The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration'',<ref name="kathleenmbleereview">{{cite journal |last=Blee |first=Kathleen M. |title=Review of Books: The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration Carol M. Swain|journal=The American Historical Review |volume=108 |issue=2 |pages=457–458 |jstor=10.1086/533322 | date = April 2003 | doi = 10.1086/ahr/108.2.547 }}</ref><ref name="cashmorereview">{{cite journal |last=Cashmore |first=Ellis |title=The Impure Strikes Back: The Making of English National Identity by Krishan Kumar; Race and Racism in Britain by John Solomos; Stuart Hall by Chris Rojek; The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration by Carol M. Swain|journal=British Journal of Sociology |volume=54 |issue=3 |pages=309–311|jstor=3698408 | date = September 2003 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-4446.2003.00407.x }}</ref><ref name="meilanderreview">{{cite journal |last=Meilaender |first=Peter C. |title=Review: Confronting Taboos: Reviewed Work: The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration by Carol M. Swain|journal=The Review of Politics |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=309–311|jstor=1408823 | date = December 2003 |doi=10.1017/s0034670500050117}}</ref><ref name="marksawyerreview">{{cite journal |last=Sawyer |first=Mark Q. |title=Reviewed Work: The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration by Carol M. Swain|journal=Perspectives on Politics |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=792–793 |jstor=3687970 | date = December 2003 | doi=10.1017/S1537592703210586 }}</ref><ref name="weisenburgerreview">{{cite journal |last=Weisenburger |first=Steven |title=Reviewed Work: The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration by Carol M. Swain|journal=The Journal of Southern History |volume=70 |issue=1 |pages=200–202 |jstor=27648387 | date = February 2004 |doi=10.2307/27648387}}</ref><ref name="stephanielreview">{{cite journal |last=Shanks-Meile |first=Stephanie L. |title=Reviewed Works: The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration by Carol M. Swain; Contemporary Voices of White Nationalism in America by Carol M. Swain, Russ Nieli|journal=Contemporary Sociology |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=157–159 |jstor=3593668 | date = March 2004}}</ref><ref name="michaelbartonreview">{{cite journal |last=Barton |first=Michael |title=Reviewed Work: THE NEW WHITE NATIONALISM IN AMERICA: Its Challenge to Integration by Carol M. Swain|journal=American Studies |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=176–177 |jstor=40643661 | date = Spring 2004}}</ref><ref name="spencereview">{{cite journal |last=Spence |first=Lester K. |title=Reviewed work(s): The New White Nationalism In America. By Carol M. Swain|journal=The Journal of Politics |volume=66 |issue=4 |pages=1306–1308 |jstor=10.1017/S0022381600004230 | date = September 2004 |doi=10.1017/S0022381600004230 |s2cid=156198819 }}</ref> which one reviewer described as "a gallant attempt to locate the middle ground of American values and social discourse toward resolving contemporary racial problems, however, complex social issues remain unresolved and out of focus".<ref name=shanks /> Her methodology was criticized by political scientist Marc Q. Sawyer, who commented that "while I laud [her] break with convention, frequently [her] hunches either lead to faulty conclusions or foreclose the opportunity for consideration of alternative explanations in this work. One can disagree with Swain's normative vision, but when that vision triumphs over social scientific evidence and fails to live up to its claims for social justice, it is legitimate to critique that vision itself." Sawyer contends Swain ignores important African-American institutions and the variety in thought among African-American scholars, that she misses and misinterprets statistical information, and that, in the end, "despite claims of a normative focus, Swain is largely on the side of the white nationalists."<ref>{{cite journal|title=Reviewed Work(s): ''The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration'' by Carol M. Swain|first=Mark Q.|last=Sawyer|journal=[[Perspectives on Politics]]|volume=1|issue=4|year=2003|pages=792–793|jstor=3687970}}</ref> In 2003, she edited ''Contemporary Voices of White Nationalism'' with [[Russell K. Nieli]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Google Books – New White Nationalism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RonIunZ521sC&q=%22Contemporary+Voices+of+White+Nationalism%22|work=Contemporary Voices of White Nationalism|isbn=9780521816731|last1=Swain|first1=Carol M.|last2=Nieli|first2=Russ|date=2003-03-24}}</ref> The book contains telephone interviews with ten people active in the white nationalist movement, which were edited by the interviewees. Stephanie Shanks-Meile, reviewing the book for ''[[Contemporary Sociology]]'', criticized the book's methodology as "weak", and the choice of interviewees as "no real substitution for field research, making Swain and Nieli's ten telephone interviews... too superficial to base an entire study on white nationalism."<ref name=shanks>{{cite journal|title=Reviewed Work(s): ''The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration'' by Carol M. Swain; ''Contemporary Voices of White Nationalism in America'' by Carol M. Swain and Russ Nieli|first=Stephanie L.|last=Shanks-Meile|journal=[[Contemporary Sociology]]|volume=33|issue=2|year=2004|pages=157–159}}</ref> In 2011, Swain released ''Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America's Faith and Promise'', published by [[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|Thomas Nelson]].<ref name="nationalreviewkathryn" /> She said she wrote the book in response to the "ungodly direction" of the United States.<ref name="theblazebilly">Billy Hallowell, [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/08/30/author-seeks-to-change-americas-ungodly-direction/ Author Seeks to Change America’s ‘Ungodly Direction’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413160034/http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/08/30/author-seeks-to-change-americas-ungodly-direction/ |date=April 13, 2015 }}, ''[[The Blaze (magazine)|The Blaze]]'', August 30, 2011</ref> Between October 2012 and July 2014 she hosted a weekly television talk show by the same name on [[WSMV-TV]] and [[WZTV]].<ref name="tntribuneshow">{{cite news|first=Ronald W. |last=Weathersby |url=http://tntribune.com/politics/carol-swains-new-talk-show-gaining-momentum-in-middle-tennessee/ |title=Carol Swain's New Talk Show Gaining Momentum in Middle Tennessee |newspaper=The Tennessee Tribune |date=January 12, 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029184714/http://tntribune.com/politics/carol-swains-new-talk-show-gaining-momentum-in-middle-tennessee/ |archivedate=October 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = About {{!}}|url = http://www.carolmswain.net/about/|website = www.carolmswain.net|accessdate = 2015-12-20}}</ref><ref name="chrischisum">Chris Chisum, [http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4536373728.html Popular Show Expands to New Networks], Christian News Wire, February 28, 2014</ref> Swain has participated in conferences and radio programs organized by the [[Family Research Council]] (FRC),<ref>[http://www.frc.org/university/index-of-belonging-and-rejection-release-and-news-conference Index of Belonging and Rejection Release and News Conference], Family Research Council, December 15, 2010</ref><ref>[[Tony Perkins (politician)|Tony Perkins]], [http://www.frc.org/wwlivewithtonyperkins/dr-richard-land-laurie-cardoza-moore-dr-carol-swain-todd-starnes Richard Land, Laurie Cardoza-Moore, Carol Swain, Todd Starnes], Family Research Council, February 25, 2014</ref> the [[Tea Party movement]],<ref>[http://www.lebanondemocrat.com/article/tldnews/178807 Swain Speaks to Wilson County Tea Party] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125314/http://www.lebanondemocrat.com/article/tldnews/178807 |date=April 2, 2015 }}, ''[[Lebanon Democrat]]'', May 1, 2013</ref> and the [[Heritage Foundation]]<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/events/2013/11/evangelicals-and-immigration Doing Good to the Stranger and the Citizen: Evangelicals Discuss Immigration Reform] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150301165056/http://www.heritage.org/events/2013/11/evangelicals-and-immigration |date=March 1, 2015 }}, Heritage Foundation, November 15, 2013</ref> In November 2015, Vanderbilt University students started a petition asking university administrators to halt Swain's teaching and require her to attend [[diversity training]] sessions. The students accused Swain of becoming "synonymous with bigotry, intolerance, and unprofessionalism".<ref name="studentpetitionsuspend">{{cite news |last=Caloway |first=Nick |date=November 9, 2015 |title=Student petition asks Vanderbilt to suspend conservative professor |url=http://wkrn.com/2015/11/09/student-petition-asks-vanderbilt-to-suspend-conservative-professor/|work=[[WKRN-TV]] |location=Nashville, Tennessee |access-date=November 11, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=blackconwashtimesstudents>{{cite news|last1=Chasmar|first1=Jessica|title=Black conservative professor slams 'sad, pathetic' Vanderbilt students demanding her ouster|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/12/carol-swain-black-conservative-prof-slams-sad-path/|accessdate=December 3, 2015|work=The Washington Times|date=November 12, 2015}}</ref> Swain responded by calling the students "sad and pathetic, in the sense that they're college students and they should be open to hearing more than one viewpoint."<ref name="studentpetitionsuspend" /><ref name="blackconwashtimesstudents" /> The petition garnered over 1,000 signatures within days,<ref name="studentpetitionsuspend" /> before changing to asking administrators to only suspend Swain and require all professors to attend diversity training.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/opinion/article_b1dbf912-8833-11e5-a778-b31e843da65c.html |title=GREENBERG: The Carol Swain petition silences dissenting voices |newspaper=Vanderbilt Hustler |date=November 11, 2015 |accessdate=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114052902/http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/opinion/article_b1dbf912-8833-11e5-a778-b31e843da65c.html |archive-date=November 14, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In response, a pro-Swain petition was started by her supporters, who suggested the student petition was "reminiscent of China's [[Cultural Revolution]], when student [[Red Guards (China)|Red Guards]] made false and ridiculous accusations against their professors".<ref>{{cite news|last1=McDermott|first1=Gerald|title=Help defend Carol Swain|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/northamptonseminar/2015/11/16/help-defend-carol-swain/|accessdate=December 4, 2015|work=[[Patheos]] |date=November 16, 2015}}</ref> [[Nicholas S. Zeppos]], chancellor of Vanderbilt University, issued a statement saying that while Swain's views are not the same as the university's, the university is committed to free speech and academic freedom.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/muslim-students-university/416994/ |title=Being Muslim on Campus |newspaper=The Atlantic |date=November 2015 |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref> In January 2017, Swain announced that she would retire from Vanderbilt in August, and stated, "I will not miss what American universities have allowed themselves to become".<ref name="Inside Higher Ed" /> After a series of racial protests erupted in the summer of 2017,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Heim|first1=Joe|title=One dead as car strikes crowds amid protests of white nationalist gathering in Charlottesville; two police die in helicopter crash|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fights-in-advance-of-saturday-protest-in-charlottesville/2017/08/12/155fb636-7f13-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html|accessdate=14 September 2017|work=The Washington Post|date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> an article in ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' dubbed Swain "the [[Cassandra]] of Vanderbilt".<ref>{{cite news |first=Alice B. |last=Lloyd |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-cassandra-of-vanderbilt/article/2007929 |title=The Cassandra of Vanderbilt |newspaper=The Weekly Standard |date=May 5, 2017 }}</ref> Swain served as an advisor to the [[U.S. Civil Rights Commission]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Tennessee Advisors – US Civil Rights Commission (see page 5)|url=http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/TNDESEGFULL.pdf}}</ref> and was a member of the [[National Endowment for the Humanities|National Council on the Humanities]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Members – National Council on the Humanities|url=http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/council.html|access-date=June 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615005226/http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/council.html|archive-date=June 15, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also served on the Board of Trustees of her [[alma mater]], [[Roanoke College]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Roanoke College Trustees|url=http://roanoke.edu/news_and_events/news_archive/copenhaver_scholar_events.htm|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029041706/http://roanoke.edu/News_and_Events/News_Archive/Copenhaver_Scholar_Events.htm|archivedate=October 29, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and is a foundation member of the Nu of Virginia Chapter of [[Phi Beta Kappa]].<ref name="vanderbiltlaw" />{{clarify|Nu of Virginia?|date=October 2020}} == Political career == Following [[List of mayors of Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville Mayor]] [[Megan Barry]]'s resignation for [[embezzlement]] on March 6, 2018, [[2018 Nashville mayoral special election|a special election]] was triggered.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Richard |last1=Fausset |first2=Mitch |last2=Smith |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/us/megan-barry-nashville.html |title=Megan Barry, Nashville Mayor, Pleads Guilty to Theft and Agrees to Resign |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 6, 2018 }}</ref> Swain declared her candidacy for Mayor of Nashville on April 2, citing a need for low taxes and common-sense regulations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/04/02/carol-swain-former-vanderbilt-professor-conservative-commentator-run-nashville-mayor/480035002/ |title=Carol Swain, former Vanderbilt professor, conservative commentator, to run for Nashville mayor |newspaper=[[Nashville Tennessean]] |first=Joey |last=Garrison |date=April 3, 2018}}</ref> Swain placed second in the election, receiving 23 percent of the vote, behind acting mayor [[David Briley]], who received 54 percent.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joey |last=Garrison |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/05/24/nashville-special-mayoral-election-election-results-david-briley-carol-swain/634643002/ |title=Nashville Mayor David Briley wins special mayoral race, avoiding runoff |newspaper=[[Nashville Tennessean]] |date=May 25, 2018 |orig-year=May 24, 2018}}</ref> On March 18, 2019, Swain announced that she was again running for Nashville mayor, challenging incumbent mayor Briley in [[2019 Nashville mayoral election|that year's election]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2019/03/18/carol-swain-officially-announces-bid-nashville-mayor/3200956002/ |title=Carol Swain officially announces bid for Nashville mayor |newspaper=[[Nashville Tennessean]] |first=Nate |last=Rau |date=March 18, 2019}}</ref> The election results on August 1, 2019 had Swain in third place with 21% of the vote, behind Councilman [[John Cooper (Tennessee politician)|John Cooper]] (36%) and incumbent David Briley (26%), setting the latter two for a special [[run-off election]]. Swain supported [[Donald Trump]]'s [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|2016 campaign]] for president.<ref name="miccahndonaldtrump">{{cite news|last1=Cahn|first1=Emily|title=Donald Trump Wants to Win Over Black Voters. Here's How He Already Blew His Chance|url=https://mic.com/articles/151815/donald-trump-wants-to-win-over-black-voters-here-s-how-he-already-blew-his-chance#.oPV17Cs3A|accessdate=August 22, 2016|work=[[Mic (media company)|Mic]]|date=August 17, 2016|quote='I was pleasantly surprised at how well the speech addressed concerns that I believe most African-Americans have, and I believe that it was delivered with sincerity and that it was a message that I wish more people could hear,' said Carol Swain, a professor at Vanderbilt University and an African-American Trump supporter.}}</ref> == Views on race == In 2002 Swain argued against [[Reparations for slavery in the United States|reparations for American descendants of slaves]] during an event at [[Delaware State University]], a [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black university]].<ref name="baltimoresungregory">Gregory Kane, [http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2002-11-27/news/0211271114_1_swain-reparations-wareham Bold remark on reparations: 'Get over it'], ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'', November 27, 2002</ref> However, in 2005 she called for [[Presidency of George W. Bush|President George W. Bush]] to issue a formal apology to [[African American]]s for the institution of [[Slavery in the United States|slavery]];<ref name="carolswainwashingtonapology">Carol M. Swain, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071501559.html An Apology for Slavery], ''The Washington Post'', July 16, 2005</ref> She also wrote a policy document on the subject for the [[Heartland Institute]].<ref>Carol M. Swain, [https://www.heartland.org/publications-resources/publications/apologizing-for-slavery-part-1 Apologizing for Slavery], Heartland Institute, April 1, 2005</ref> When an apology was eventually issued in 2009, during the [[presidency of Barack Obama]], she called it "meaningless"<ref name="krissahthompson">Krissah Thompson, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/18/AR2009061803877.html Senate Unanimously Approves Resolution Apologizing for Slavery], ''The Washington Post'', June 19, 2009</ref> and expressed disappointment that it did not happen under the previous president, a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], as "it would have shed that racist scab on the party."<ref name="krissahthompson" /> In October 2009, the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] (SPLC) mentioned Swain in a critique of ''A Conversation About Race'', a documentary directed by Craig Bodeker that contends that racism is not an issue in America. The SPLC stated that the film had been well-received among white supremacist organizations, and that the film's director gave interviews to white supremacist publications to promote it. The SPLC noted that Swain was one of the few mainstream figures who had endorsed the film.<ref name="southernpovertysonia">Sonia Scherr, [http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2009/10/08/a-slick-dvd-defends-racism/ A Slick DVD Defends Racism], Southern Poverty Law Center, October 8, 2009</ref> Swain stated that the content of the film could be effectively used in social science classes to encourage debate,<ref name="journalofblacks">{{cite journal |last= |first= |title=Black Professor at Vanderbilt University Denies She Is an "Apologist for White Supremacists"|journal=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |pages= 30|number=66|jstor=20722160 |date = Winter 2009 }}</ref> called the SPLC article a smear, and claimed that the SPLC was retaliating against her for past criticism of the organization.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Swain|first1=Carol|title=What It's Like to Be Smeared by the Southern Poverty Law Center|date=September 11, 2017|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-its-like-to-be-smeared-by-the-southern-poverty-law-center-1505171221|website=www.wsj.com|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=5 November 2017}}</ref> Swain called the re-election of President Barack Obama in 2012 "a very scary situation".<ref name="nationalreviewkathryn" /> She argued that civil rights leaders like [[Jesse Jackson]] and [[Al Sharpton]] had used the [[shooting of Trayvon Martin]] to increase [[voter registration]] for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]],<ref name="nappnazworth">Napp Nazworth, [http://www.christianpost.com/news/expert-black-leaders-fueling-racial-division-for-political-gain-72994/ Expert: Black Leaders Fueling Racial Division for Political Gain], ''[[The Christian Post]]'', April 10, 2012</ref> and argued that black-on-white crimes are underreported in the media.<ref name="pbsobamagives">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/obama-gives-highly-personal-take-on-trayvon-martin-death|title=Obama Gives Highly Personal Take On Trayvon Martin Death, Urges Soul-Searching|work=PBS NewsHour|publisher=PBS|date=July 19, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323024204/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house-july-dec13-obama_07-19/|archivedate=March 23, 2014|accessdate=June 2, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> She also criticized Martin's mother for failing to address the issues of black-on-black crime rates, unemployment, and abortion in black communities.<ref name="washingtonexaminergreg">Gregory Kane, [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/why-carol-swain-demands-honesty-about-trayvon-martin/article/2533867 Why Carol Swain demands honesty about Trayvon Martin], ''[[The Washington Examiner]]'', August 5, 2013</ref> In July 2016, Swain criticized [[Black Lives Matter]], suggesting it was "a [[Marxism|Marxist]] organization" and "a very destructive force in America."<ref name="cnnafricanamericanprofessorcarolblacklives">{{cite news|last1=Diaz|first1=Daniella|title=African-American professor Carol Swain slams Black Lives Matter|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/09/politics/carol-swain-black-lives-matter-smerconish/|accessdate=August 20, 2016|work=CNN|date=July 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name="carolswainblastsblacklivesmattertennessean">{{cite news|last1=Tamburin|first1=Adam|title=Carol Swain blasts Black Lives Matter; Vanderbilt responds|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2016/07/11/carol-swain-blasts-black-lives-matter-vanderbilt-responds/86948246/|accessdate=August 20, 2016|work=The Tennessean|date=July 12, 2016}}</ref> She reiterated that it was "pure Marxism" and concluded that it "needs to go".<ref name="cnnafricanamericanprofessorcarolblacklives" /><ref name="carolswainblastsblacklivesmattertennessean" /> In October 2020, a video recording was released which showed her comparing Black Lives Matter to the [[Ku Klux Klan]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=2020|title=Videos show closed-door sessions of leading conservative activists: 'Be not afraid of the accusations that you're a voter suppressor'|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/council-national-policy-video/2020/10/14/367f24c2-f793-11ea-a510-f57d8ce76e11_story.html|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref> In August 2016, Swain appeared in ''[[Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party]]'', directed by [[Radical right (United States)|far-right]] [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theorist]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/31/who-is-dinesh-dsouza-trump-pardon-profile-rightwing-provocateur|title=Dinesh D'Souza: far-right provocateur and key figure in US culture wars|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=31 May 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Chantal |last=Da Silva |url=http://www.newsweek.com/dinesh-dsouza-outrage-mocking-survivors-florida-school-814004 |title=Florida school shooting survivor hits out at right-wing pundit Dinesh D'Souza for mocking grieving students |newspaper=Newsweek |date=February 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222040623/http://www.newsweek.com/dinesh-dsouza-outrage-mocking-survivors-florida-school-814004 |archivedate=February 22, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=RIght-wing Books Wrong Answers|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/conservatism-jeff-flake-dsouza.html|work=NY Times|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928102947/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/conservatism-jeff-flake-dsouza.html|archivedate=September 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>Howard, Adam (July 22, 2016). [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dinesh-d-souza-conservative-firebrand-set-debut-anti-clinton-film-n614891 Dinesh D'Souza, Conservative Firebrand, Set to Debut Anti-Clinton Film.] ''NBC News.'' Retrieved: June 2, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/07/what-happened-to-dinesh-dsouza/374939/|title=What happened to Dinesh D'Souza|first=Mark|last=Stricherz|magazine=The Atlantic|date=July 25, 2014|accessdate=June 7, 2018}}</ref> [[Dinesh D'Souza]].<ref name="thewraphillarysamericareview">{{cite news|last1=Adams|first1=Sam|title='Hillary's America' Review: Dinesh D'Souza Indulges in More Confirmation Bias|url=http://www.thewrap.com/hillarys-america-review/|accessdate=August 20, 2016|work=The Wrap|date=July 15, 2016}}</ref> == Views on Islam == On January 16, 2015, in the wake of the [[Charlie Hebdo shooting]], Swain wrote an op-ed criticizing [[Islam]] in ''[[The Tennessean]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carolmswain.net/about/beliefs/|title=Beliefs|work=CarolMSwain.net|accessdate=February 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211064156/http://www.carolmswain.net/about/beliefs/|archive-date=December 11, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="tennesseanislam">Carol M. Swain, [http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/01/15/charlie-hebdo-attacks-prove-critics-right-islam/21809599/ Charlie Hebdo attacks prove critics were right about Islam], ''The Tennessean'', January 15, 2015</ref><ref name="insidehigheredislam">[https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/19/uproar-over-vanderbilt-professors-anti-muslim-column Is Carol Swain Charlie? or Hateful?], ''[[Inside Higher Ed]]'', January 19, 2015</ref> She argued that "Islam is not like other religions in the United States[...] it poses an absolute danger to us and our children unless it is monitored. [...] If America is to be safe, it must [...] institute serious monitoring of Islamic organizations."<ref name="tennesseanislam" /> Following her comments a student protest was held at [[Vanderbilt University]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ridley|first1=JR|title=Former 'SNL' actress defends prof accused of 'hate speech' against Muslims|url=http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/20892/|website=CollegeFix.com|accessdate=July 24, 2015}}</ref> accusing Swain of engaging in "[[hate speech]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/19/uproar-over-vanderbilt-professors-anti-muslim-column|title=Uproar over Vanderbilt professor's anti-Muslim column @insidehighered|work=insidehighered.com|accessdate=February 28, 2015}}</ref> and asking that the university implements policies to protect students "from being attacked by faculty members."<ref name="insidehigheredislam" /><ref>[http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/news/article_a67ecc6e-9da3-11e4-88bf-b33cf2992bea.html Students to protest Carol Swain's op-ed on Islam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221115044/http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/news/article_a67ecc6e-9da3-11e4-88bf-b33cf2992bea.html |date=February 21, 2015 }} by Aaditi Naik, ''The Vanderbilt Hustler'', January 16, 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/news/article_61839128-a184-11e4-adad-e3896236d7d9.html Between brats and bigots] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150125093852/http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/news/article_61839128-a184-11e4-adad-e3896236d7d9.html |date=January 25, 2015 }} by Angelica Lasala and Aaditi Naik, ''The Vanderbilt Hustler'', January 21, 2015.</ref> On January 19, [[Judson Phillips]], a conservative activist, wrote an op ed in ''[[The Washington Times]]'' in defense of Swain's remarks.<ref>Judson Phillips, [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/19/judson-phillips-vanderbilts-carol-swain-fight-sile/ Vanderbilt’s Carol Swain, the fight to silence liberty], ''The Washington Times'', January 19, 2015</ref> The same day, Vanderbilt professor David J. Wasserstein published his piece, titled "Thoughtful views on Islam needed, not simplicity", in the ''Tennessean'', criticising her remarks.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/01/18/thoughtful-views-islam-needed-simplicity/21979211/|title=Thoughtful views on Islam needed, not simplicity|first=David J.|last=Wasserstein|work=The Tennessean|date=January 19, 2015}}</ref> On January 23, 2015, ''The Tennessean'' published another opinion piece, titled "Anti-Islam op-ed distorts reality, could harm people," by Randy Horick, countering Swain's views.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/01/23/anti-islam-op-ed-distorts-reality-harm-people/22217133/|title=Anti-Islam op-ed distorts reality, could harm people|author=Randy Horick|date=January 23, 2015|work=The Tennessean|accessdate=February 28, 2015}}</ref> In February 2015, Swain filed a police complaint after she received a sexually harassing package{{clarify|date=October 2020}} from an address in [[Portland, Oregon]] in retaliation for her op-ed.<ref name="tennesseantomwilemon">Tom Wilemon, [http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2015/02/13/conservative-vanderbilt-professor-carol-swain-reports-harassment/23379845/ Carol Swain to police: Islam column brings harassment], ''The Tennessean'', February 15, 2015</ref> She commented that she no longer felt safe on the campus of Vanderbilt University.<ref name="tennesseantomwilemon" /> == Personal life == Swain married at the age of sixteen and had two sons and one daughter. Her daughter died of [[sudden infant death syndrome]]. Upon being divorced five years later, Swain attempted to commit [[suicide]] by swallowing pills.<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> During this period she was a [[Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witness]].<ref name="upfrompoverty" /> According to the ''[[Nashville Scene]]'', "As a young girl, Swain became a devout Jehovah's Witness. At the time, many in that church believed that the world would end in 1975. Swain was among them. ..."<ref name="pjtobia" /> In 1998 Swain was baptized into the [[Protestantism in the United States|Pentecostal]] faith after hearing an "internal voice" when she thought she was dying at a hospital.<ref name="asnippetofprof">{{cite web|title=A Snippet of Professor Carol M. Swain's Christian Journey|url=http://www.carolmswain.net/2011/12/a-snippet-of-professor-carol-m-swains-christian-journey/|date=December 21, 2011|website=carolmswain.net|accessdate=December 3, 2015|quote=The hospital in Princeton happened to have a black Pentecostal chaplain, which was unusual given the affluence and racial makeup of the surrounding community. The chaplain and a cleaning lady witnessed to me in the hospital and arranged for me to be baptized.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114100740/http://www.carolmswain.net/2011/12/a-snippet-of-professor-carol-m-swains-christian-journey/|archive-date=November 14, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="towntalkauthormakescase">{{cite news|title=Author makes case for God, faith to heal nation|url=http://archive.thetowntalk.com/article/20110731/LIFESTYLE/107310302/Author-makes-case-God-faith-heal-nation|accessdate=December 7, 2015|work=The Town Talk|location=Alexandria, Louisiana|date=July 31, 2011|quote=She also draws on her Pentecostal beliefs about spiritual covenants, which are binding agreements between God and human beings.}}</ref> In 2017 Swain served as a Citizen's Committee member for the 43rd Annual Tennessee Prayer Breakfast<ref>[http://www.tennesseeprayerbreakfast.org/ 2017 Tennessee Prayer Breakfast]</ref> and as a board member for the Nashville [[Youth for Christ]].<ref>[http://www.nashvilleyfc.org/about/board/ Nashville YFC Board of Directors]</ref> She is a [[Southern Baptist]].<ref name="capstone 2017">{{cite web|url=https://capstonereport.com/2017/04/04/swain_southern_baptists_russell_moore/31755/ |title=Swain: Southern Baptists must counter aggressive secularism |date=April 4, 2017 |publisher=Capstone Report |accessdate=December 18, 2019 |quote="Carol M. Swain is a Southern Baptist and a professor of Political Science and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University in Nashville."}}</ref> Swain was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] before leaving the party around 2009 due to what she said was her Christian faith causing her to re-examine her worldview. In 2009, Swain became a Republican, explaining: "As a Christian, I saw stark contradictions between my biblical worldview and the Democratic Party’s position on the issues I care about most deeply."<ref name="saw the light">{{cite web |last1=Swain |first1=Carol M. |title=I Saw the Light and Went to Republican From Democrat |url=https://www.theepochtimes.com/i-saw-the-light-and-went-to-republican-from-democrat_2704793.html |website=The Epoch Times |accessdate=June 2, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101142555/https://www.theepochtimes.com/i-saw-the-light-and-went-to-republican-from-democrat_2704793.html |archivedate=November 1, 2018 |date=November 1, 2018|df=mdy-all|url-status=live}}</ref> == Publications == ===Books=== Listed chronologically by released date. * {{cite book|author1=Carol M. Swain|title=Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress|date=1993|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-07616-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/blackfacesblacki00swai}} * {{cite book|author1=Carol M. Swain|title=Race Versus Class: The New Affirmative Action Debate|date=1996|publisher=University Press of America|isbn=978-0-7618-0413-0}} * {{cite book|author1=Carol M. Swain|title=The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration|date=2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-54558-7}} * {{cite book|editor1=Carol M. Swain|editor2=Russ Nieli|title=Contemporary Voices of White Nationalism in America|date=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-01693-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryvoic00swai}} * {{cite book|editor1=Carol M. Swain|title=Debating Immigration|url=https://archive.org/details/debatingimmigrat00caro|url-access=registration|date=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-69866-5}} **{{cite book|editor1=Carol M. Swain|title=Debating Immigration|date=2018|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn= 978-1-108-45467-4|edition=Second}} * {{cite book|author1=Carol M. Swain|title=Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America's Faith and Promise|date=2011|publisher=Thomas Nelson|isbn=978-0-8499-4828-2}} * {{cite book|author1=Steven Feazel|author2=Carol M. Swain|title=Abduction: How Liberalism Steals Our Children's Hearts and Minds|date=2016|publisher=Christian Faith Publishing|isbn=978-1-63525-146-3}} * {{cite book|author1=Carol M. Swain|author2=Steven Feazel|title=Who's Stealing Our Kids?: Revealing the Hidden Agenda to Secularize Our Children|date=2016|publisher=Frontline|isbn=978-1-62998-748-4}} ===Essays=== *"Double Standard, Double Bind: African-American Leadership After the Thomas Debacle" in ''Race-ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and the Construction of Social Reality'' (1992). Pantheon Books. Edited by Toni Morrison. {{isbn|0-679-74145-3}}. == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.vanderbilt.edu/political-science/people/bios/?who=25 Vanderbilt University] * [http://www.carolmswain.net/ Carol Swain's Website] * [http://www.bethepeopletv.com/ Be The People TV] – Swain's Blog * {{C-SPAN|carolswain}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Swain, Carol Miller}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:People from Bedford, Virginia]] [[Category:Roanoke College alumni]] [[Category:Virginia Tech alumni]] [[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni]] [[Category:American women political scientists]] [[Category:Princeton University faculty]] [[Category:Vanderbilt University faculty]] [[Category:African-American women writers]] [[Category:Tennessee Republicans]] [[Category:Virginia Republicans]] [[Category:African-American academics]] [[Category:American women academics]] [[Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses]] [[Category:American Pentecostals]] [[Category:African-American Christians]] [[Category:American critics of Islam]] [[Category:Academics from Virginia]]'