Carol Swain
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Carol Miller Swain (born March 7, 1954) is an American political scientist and legal scholar who is a retired professor of
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
and
law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
. She is a frequent television analyst and has authored and edited several books. Her interests include
race relations Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in th ...
,
immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...
, representation, evangelical politics, and the
United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
.


Early life and education

Carol Miller Swain was born on March 7, 1954, in
Bedford, Virginia Bedford is an incorporated town and former Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city located within Bedford County, Virginia, Bedford County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It serves as the county seat of Bedford County. As of the ...
, the second of twelve children.
Kathryn Jean Lopez Kathryn Jean Lopez (born March 22, 1976) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative columnist. She is the former editing, editor and currently an editor-at-large of ''National Review Online''. Her nickname on the website's gro ...

Being Faithful to a Founding: A college professor talks good sense
''
National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief is Rich L ...
'', November 28, 2011
Her father dropped out of school in the third grade and her mother dropped out in high school. Her stepfather used to physically abuse her mother, Dorothy Henderson, who is disabled due to
polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
. Swain grew up in poverty, living in a
shack A shack (or, in some areas, shanty) is a type of small shelter or dwelling, often primitive or rudimentary in design and construction. Unlike huts, shacks are constructed by hand using available materials; however, whereas huts are usually r ...
without running water, and sharing two beds with her eleven siblings. She did not finish high school, dropping out in ninth grade. She moved to 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 A trailer park, caravan park, mobile home park, mobile home community or manufactured home community is a temporary or permanent area for mobile homes and travel trailers. Advantages include low cost compared to other housing, and quick and e ...
. After she divorced in 1975, Swain earned a
GED Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...
and worked as a cashier at
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
, a
door-to-door Door-to-door is a canvassing technique that is generally used for sales, marketing, advertising, evangelism or campaigning, in which the person or persons walk from the door of one house to the door of another, trying to sell or advertise a pr ...
salesperson, and an assistant in a retirement facility. She later earned an
associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...
from Virginia Western Community College. She went on to earn a B.A., ''
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'', in
criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
from
Roanoke College Roanoke College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers ...
and a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
in
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
from
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
. While an undergraduate at Roanoke College, she organized a scholarship fund for black students that by 2002 had an endowment of $350,000. She finished a Ph.D. in political science from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
in 1989. In 2000, she earned a Master of Legal Studies from
Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
.


Career


Academia

Swain received tenure as an
associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...
of politics and public policy at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
. From 1999 to 2017, she taught political science and law at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
. She retired from her post at Vanderbilt in 2017.


Author

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...
published Swain's first academic book, ''Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress'' in 1993. It received the D.B. Hardeman Prize and the
American Political Science Association The American Political Science Association (APSA) is a professional association of political scientists in the United States. Founded in 1903 in the Tilton Memorial Library (now Tilton Hall) of Tulane University in New Orleans, it publishes four ...
's Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award. Swain later accused deposed
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
President
Claudine Gay Claudine Gay (born August 4, 1970) is an American political scientist who is the Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University. Her research focuses on American political behavior, inc ...
of plagiarizing portions of her book, stating, "Maybe she didn’t know any better, but it would qualify as plagiarism under Harvard’s own rules." In 2024, Swain released ''A Gay Affair,'' published by Be the People Books. This book followed Claudine Gay's resignation as President of Harvard on January 2, 2024. In 2003, Swain edited ''Contemporary Voices of White Nationalism'' with Russell K. Nieli. 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 ''Contemporary Sociology'' is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed academic journal of sociology published by SAGE Publications in association with the American Sociological Association since 1972. Each issue of the journal publishes many in-depth as well as ...
'', 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." Her third book, published in 2002, was ''The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration'', 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". Her methodology was criticized by political scientist Mark Q. Sawyer. In 2011, Swain released ''Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America's Faith and Promise'', published by Thomas Nelson. Between October 2012 and July 2014 she hosted a weekly television talk show by the same name on
WSMV-TV WSMV-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTNX-LD (channel 29). The two stations share studios on Knob Road i ...
and
WZTV WZTV (channel 17) is a television station in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox and The CW. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WUXP-TV (channel 30) as well as ...
. Swain has participated in conferences and radio programs organized by the
Family Research Council The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American evangelical 501(c)(3) non-profit activist group and think-tank with an affiliated lobbying organization. FRC promotes what it considers to be family values. It opposes and lobbies against access ...
(FRC), the
Tea Party movement The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2007, catapulted into the mainstream by Congressman Ron Paul's presidential campaign. The movement expanded in resp ...
, and
The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...
. In November 2015,
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
students started a petition asking university administrators to halt Swain's teaching and require her to attend
diversity training Diversity training is a type of corporate training designed to facilitate positive intergroup interaction, reduce prejudice and discrimination, and teach different individuals how to work together effectively. Diversity training is often aimed ...
sessions. The students accused Swain of becoming "synonymous with bigotry, intolerance, and unprofessionalism". 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." The petition garnered over 1,000 signatures within days, before changing to asking administrators to only suspend Swain and require all professors to attend diversity training. In response, a pro-Swain petition was started by her supporters, who suggested the student petition was "reminiscent of China's
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
, when student
Red Guards The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a ...
made false and ridiculous accusations against their professors". 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. In January 2017, Swain announced that she would retire from Vanderbilt in August, saying, "I will not miss what American universities have allowed themselves to become". After a series of racial protests erupted in the summer of 2017, an article in ''
The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis, and commentary that was published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' was described as a ...
'' dubbed Swain "the
Cassandra Cassandra or Kassandra (; , , sometimes referred to as Alexandra; ) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecy, prophecies but never to be believed. In modern usage her name is e ...
of Vanderbilt". Swain served on the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and was appointed by President George W. Bush to a National Council on the Humanities term ending January 26, 2014. She also served on the Board of Trustees of her
alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...
,
Roanoke College Roanoke College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers ...
, and is a foundation member of the Nu of Virginia Chapter of
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
. Swain was co-chairwoman for President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's 1776 Commission, which released its report in January 2021 as a response to ''
The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...
''s 1619 Project. The commission called for patriotic education and criticized liberals for "left-wing indoctrination in our schools." The report was condemned by historians who noted that there were no professional historians of the United States on the commission.


Political career

Swain was a Democrat before leaving the party in 2009 due to what she said was her Christian faith causing her to reexamine her worldview. In 2009, Swain became a Republican. Swain supported Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for president. Following Nashville Mayor
Megan Barry Megan Christine Barry (née Mueller; born September 22, 1963) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as the seventh mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County from 2015 until March 6, 2018, when she res ...
's resignation for
embezzlement Embezzlement (from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ''besillier'' ("to torment, etc."), of unknown origin) is a type of financial crime, usually involving theft of money from a business or employer. It often involves a trusted individual taking ...
on March 6, 2018, a special election was triggered. Swain declared her candidacy for Mayor of Nashville on April 2, citing a need for low taxes and common-sense regulations. She placed second in the election, receiving 23 percent of the vote, behind acting mayor David Briley, who received 54 percent. On March 18, 2019, Swain announced that she was again running for Nashville mayor, challenging incumbent mayor Briley in that year's election. The election results on August 1, 2019, had her in third place with 21% of the vote, ahead of Tennessee House of Representatives member
John Ray Clemmons John Ray Clemmons (born July 14, 1977) is an American politician from the state of Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he serves in the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing the 55th district, in West Nashville. Early life ...
, but behind Councilman John Cooper (36%) and incumbent David Briley (26%), setting the latter two for a special run-off election.


Views


Race

In 2002, Swain argued against reparations for American descendants of slaves during an event at
Delaware State University Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a Statutory college#Outside New York State, privately governed, state-assisted Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Land-grant university, land-grant research universi ...
, a historically black university.Gregory Kane
Bold remark on reparations: 'Get over it'
''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'', November 27, 2002
In 2005, she called for President George W. Bush to issue a formal apology to
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
s for the institution of
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
.Carol M. Swain
An Apology for Slavery
''The Washington Post'', July 16, 2005
She also wrote a policy document on the subject for the
Heartland Institute The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking. Founded ...
. When an apology was eventually issued in 2009, during the
presidency of Barack Obama Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...
, she called it "meaningless"Krissah Thompson
Senate Unanimously Approves Resolution Apologizing for Slavery
''The Washington Post'', June 19, 2009
and expressed disappointment that it did not happen under the previous president, a Republican, as "it would have shed that racist scab on the party." In October 2009, the
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
(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.Sonia Scherr
A Slick DVD Defends Racism
Southern Poverty Law Center, October 8, 2009
Swain stated that the content of the film could be effectively used in social science classes to encourage debate, called the SPLC article a smear, and claimed that the SPLC was retaliating against her for past criticism of the organization. Swain called the re-election of President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
in 2012 "a very scary situation". She argued that civil rights leaders like
Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...
and
Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights and social justice activist, Baptists, Baptist minister, radio talk show host, and TV personality, who is also the founder of the National Action Network civil rig ...
had used the
killing of Trayvon Martin On the evening of February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, United States, George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American, who was visiting his father while suspended from his Miami-area school. Zimmerman, a 28-yea ...
to increase
voter registration In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise Suffrage, eligible to Voting, vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted ...
for the Democratic Party,Napp Nazworth
Expert: Black Leaders Fueling Racial Division for Political Gain
''
The Christian Post ''The Christian Post'' is an American non-denominational, conservative, evangelical Christian online newspaper. Based in Washington, D.C., it was founded in March 2004. News topics include the Church, ministries, missions, education, Christi ...
'', April 10, 2012
and argued that black-on-white crimes are underreported in the media. She also criticized Martin's mother for failing to address the issues of black-on-black crime rates, unemployment, and abortion in black communities.Gregory Kane
Why Carol Swain demands honesty about Trayvon Martin
''
The Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C., consisting of a website and a weekly printed magazine. It is owned by Philip Anschutz through MediaDC, a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group. From 20 ...
'', August 5, 2013
In July 2016, Swain criticized
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
, stating it was "a
Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
organization" and "a very destructive force in America." She reiterated that it was "pure Marxism" and concluded that it "needs to go". In October 2020, a video recording was released which showed her comparing Black Lives Matter to the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
. In August 2016, Swain appeared in '' Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party'', directed by
Dinesh D'Souza Dinesh Joseph D'Souza (; born April 25, 1961) is an American Right-wing politics, right-wing political commentator, conspiracy theorist, author, and filmmaker. He has made several films and written over a dozen books, several of them The New Y ...
.


Islam

On January 16, 2015, in the wake of the
Charlie Hebdo shooting On 7 January 2015, at about 11:30 a.m. in Paris, Paris, France, the employees of the French satirical weekly magazine ''Charlie Hebdo'' were targeted in a terrorist shooting attack by two French-born Islam in Algeria, Algerian Muslim bro ...
, Swain wrote an op-ed criticizing
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
in ''
The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, w ...
''.Carol M. Swain
Charlie Hebdo attacks prove critics were right about Islam
''The Tennessean'', January 15, 2015
Is Carol Swain Charlie? or Hateful?
''
Inside Higher Ed ''Inside Higher Ed'' is an American online publication of news, opinion, resources, events and jobs in the higher education sphere. In 2022, Quad Partners, a private equity firm, sold it to Times Higher Education, itself owned by Inflexion Priv ...
'', January 19, 2015
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." Following her comments, a student protest was held at Vanderbilt University, accusing Swain of engaging in "
hate speech Hate speech is a term with varied meaning and has no single, consistent definition. It is defined by the ''Cambridge Dictionary'' as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as ...
" and asking that the university implements policies to protect students "from being attacked by faculty members." On January 19, Judson Phillips, a conservative activist, wrote an op-ed in ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
'' in defense of Swain's remarks. The same day, Vanderbilt professor David J. Wasserstein published his piece, "Thoughtful views on Islam needed, not simplicity", in the ''Tennessean'', criticising her remarks. On January 23, 2015, ''The Tennessean'' published another opinion piece, titled "Anti-Islam op-ed distorts reality, could harm people," by Randy Horick. In February 2015, Swain filed a police complaint after she received a package with lewd sexual contents and messages from an address in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
in retaliation for her op-ed.Tom Wilemon
Carol Swain to police: Islam column brings harassment
''The Tennessean'', February 15, 2015
She commented that she no longer felt safe on the campus of Vanderbilt University.


Personal life

Swain married at the age of sixteen and had two sons and one daughter. Her daughter died of
sudden infant death syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes known as cot death or crib death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and ...
. Upon being divorced five years later, Swain attempted to commit
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
by swallowing pills. During this period she was a
Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co- ...
. According to the ''
Nashville Scene ''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...
'', "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." In 1998 Swain was baptized into the
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
faith after hearing an "internal voice" when she thought she was dying at a hospital. In 2017 Swain served as a Citizen's Committee member for the 43rd Annual Tennessee Prayer Breakfast and as a board member for the Nashville
Youth for Christ Youth For Christ (YFC) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people, whose main purpose is evangelism among teenagers. It began informally in New York City in 1940, when Jack Wyrtzen held evangelical Protestant rallies for teenager ...
. She is a
Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...
and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.


Publications


Books

Listed chronologically by released date. * * * * *, 2nd edition 2018, * * * * * * *


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. .


See also

*
Black conservatism in the United States In the United States, black conservatism is a political and social movement rooted in African-American communities that aligns largely with the American conservative movement, including the Christian right. Black conservatism emphasizes social c ...


References


External links

*
Be The People TV
– Swain's Blog * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swain, Carol Miller 1954 births Living people 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics Academics from Virginia African-American Christians African-American women writers American critics of Islam American Pentecostals American women academics American women political scientists American political scientists Black conservatism in the United States Former Jehovah's Witnesses People from Bedford, Virginia Princeton University faculty Roanoke College alumni Tennessee Republicans Texas Public Policy Foundation people University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Vanderbilt University faculty Virginia Republicans Virginia Tech alumni