Dr. Kathleen Belew

Biography

Kathleen Belew is a historian, author, and teacher specializing in contemporary history. She spent ten years researching and writing her book, "Bring War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America" (Harvard, 2018; paperback 2019). In her work, Belew explores how white power activists have created a social movement rooted in a narrative of betrayal against the government, encompassing war, weapons, uniforms, and technologies. Bridging groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and skinhead factions, this movement has mobilized and engaged in escalating acts of violence, culminating in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Belew emphasizes the importance of adequately confronting this movement, which remains a threat to American democracy. Her upcoming book, "Home End World" (spring 2027), sheds light on the apocalyptic era in the history focused on her native Colorado during the 1990s, exploring high-profile kidnappings, murders, right-wing religious ideology, and mass shootings. Her work has appeared in various media outlets, including the Rachel Maddow Show, AC 360 with Anderson Cooper, and Frontline. As an Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University, she earned tenure at the University of Chicago in 2021 after seven years. Her research has garnered support from multiple foundations and she has held several postdoctoral fellowships at esteemed institutions. Belew's award-winning teaching covers broad themes in modern history, connecting conservatism, race, gender, violence, identity, and the meaning of war.

Research Interests

Experience