#  Marco M. Aviña (APRW) 

 



####  calendar\_today Date and Time 

 **January 27, 2026** 

 12:00PM - 02:00PM EST 

####  pin\_drop Location 

 **CGIS Knafel room K354**  



 

 [ Join via Zoom arrow\_circle\_right ](https://harvard.zoom.us/j/99320596113) 

 



 

### Speaker & Title

Marco M. Aviña, "The 'Great Awokening' Had a Strong Upper Class Accent"

### Abstract

Recent scholarship hails rising racial liberalism among white liberals as a racial reckoning and even a “Great Awokening.” In this paper, I show that affluent white liberals have driven these changes—primarily on low-cost symbolic recognition outcomes rather than high-cost redistributive commitments—which I argue has major implications for the politics of racial and economic inequality in the US. I first document a 40-year, widening class gap in racial liberalism among white liberals that is pronounced for racial attitudes but largely absent for race-targeted policy preferences. I then leverage George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests as a focusing event and natural experiment which shifted racial salience and norms. Using regression-discontinuity, difference-in-differences, and instrumental variables approaches, I find that previously reported shifts in stated racial attitudes were strongest among higher-income white liberals; by contrast, increases in redistributive policy support, turnout, and reductions in implicit bias did not disproportionately occur in this group. Taken together, these results complicate common narratives of racial progress: recent shifts among white liberals are concentrated among the affluent and largely expressive, consistent with a politics of recognition without commensurate redistribution.



 

The American Politics Research Workshop (Gov 3004) meets all academic year, Tuesdays, 12:00–2:00 PM, in CGIS K354. This workshop presents an opportunity for graduate students and Harvard faculty to present and receive feedback on their current research. The workshop highlights key theoretical and empirical findings from Harvard affiliates on topics related to American politics.

All interested Harvard affiliates are invited to attend. Lunch will be provided.



 

 



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