In November of 1984, horror fans were treated to the first of what would become a 9-film series entitled, “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Audiences had already been frightened by Jason in, “Friday the 13^th,^” and terrified by Michael Myers in, “Halloween,” but the new kid on the block was a cat by the name of Freddie Krueger. Freddie, with his slasher gloved right hand had the unique ability to enter the nightmares of his victims and rip them to shreds.

The only solution was to…STAY WOKE!   

The Fresh Prince (Wil Smith) even had his own take on the theme song with, “A Nightmare on My Street.”

There is a similar version which targets a specific audience bringing the nightmare to their own streets in the form of what is known as, “The Great Replacement Theory.” Or I guess we can call it CRT part 2, the sequel to the “Critical Race Theory” panic. And the proponents are manning their battle stations as it seems they have lost their God-given minds.

Both theories play to the fear-based crowd which embraces “whiteness” as an essential part of their identity; along with all of its privileges.  They are terrified that they might be lost, never to return, ripped to shreds in their worst nightmares.

There’s a scene in the movie with children jumping rope singing a Freddy Krueger nursery rhyme: “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you; / Three, four, better lock your door; / Five, six, grab your crucifix; / Seven, eight, gonna stay up late; / Nine, ten, never sleep again.”

Not to be outdone, the promoters of GRT, have their own version of the children’s song: “One, two, they’re coming for you; (You know the brown people “invasion” from “the sh@thole” countries); / Three, four, better lock the border door; (Gotta Build that Wall); / Five, six, grab your crucifix; (A very outspoken segment of “white evangelicals” are calling on “white Jesus” and his representative, “Don the con,” Trump to save them); / Seven, eight, stir up hate; / Nine, ten, Make America Great Again!”

Yes, be afraid, be very afraid!

The theory was developed by French author Renaud Camus in his 2012 essay entitled, “Le Grand Remplacement,” translated “the Great Replacement Theory.” In it, Camus sounds the alarm to white supremacists, warning of a massive European influx of Black and Muslim immigrants who would pose a threat to the very survival of traditional European culture.

This fear-driven theory became popularized in many European countries and gained momentum among the far right here in the U.S.

“Jews will not replace us!” was the white supremacist rallying cry chanted by khaki-wearing torch-baring protesters at the University of VA in Charlottesville during the summer of 2017. 

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson is more than happy to add fuel to the fire by contending that, the Democratic Political strategy is to use “3rd world” voters to “replace” the current electorate.  

In addition, there is a growing concern of a decrease in the “white race” population among those who fear GRT.  This due in part to the number of deaths per year, exceeding the number of births, which has indeed been trending forward from 2010, according to the U.S. census; while all other populations are growing. If the trend continues, it is predicted that those classified as “white” will become the minority somewhere around 2044. Such a reality check has led to “white panic” among the GRT folks, leading to acts of violence inclusive of mass murder.

The current statistics show that “white” people represent approximately 15% of the global population. However, this is expected to be down to 10% by 2060. Thereby fueling fear while sparking an increase in those who cling tightly to the invented idea of “race,” which America has used as a divide and conquer strategy since its inception.

Yet, when we unpack this pseudo-science of racial identities, we discover that the definition of what constitutes “white,” has historically fluctuated in the U.S. For instance, the Irish, Italians, Greeks, and Polish were not always classified as Anglo Saxon White and this sought-after status was subject to change from year to year and state to state. And “white” membership had its privileges.

In a perceived effort to slow down this inevitable societal change, the definition of “white” is being expanded to include people who previously failed to “qualify.”

For the past few decades, people from the middle east have joined the ranks of “the white race” according to the designation of the U.S. Census. We also see a growing concern among the GRT crowd for tighter border controls related to immigrants of color, and a call against “interracial reproduction” to maintain the “purity of the white race.”

“We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” is the hill these delusional folks are willing to die on.

These concerns even manifest themselves on the movie screen with growing GRT public outcries against fictionalized characters being portrayed as Black instead of what has traditionally been seen as, “white.”

Most recently, we have seen people lose their minds over “The Little Mermaid” being recast as Black, along with a character in “the Hunger Games.” The new TV prequel to “Game of Thrones,” “House of the Dragon,” has met with controversy due to its inclusion of Black characters, and Heaven forbid the thought that James Bond 007 be played by Idris Elba. And let’s not even get started talking about Black Santa. 

And yet, the hypocrisy is glaring with erroneous depictions of Jesus, Biblical characters, and Egyptians since the invention of moving pictures. If anyone was replaced, it’s been POC.

The solution – Get rid of the miseducation of racial indoctrination during the formative years of our children. Teach the truth that, there is only one race/species, and it’s called, “human.” DNA traces ALL of us back to African origins.

When we simply identify as human beings, much of the nonsense automatically fades away. But it has taken over 400 years to develop and take root in America’s DNA. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be overturned or corrected overnight but we can at least, commit ourselves to move the needle in the right direction. 

In the meantime, those who adhere to the GRT boogeyman found in their nightmares, just need to stay WOKE and keep telling themselves, in the words of brother Gil Scott-Heron, “This ain’t really your life. Ain’t nothing but a movie!”

By Tobias Houpe