Insecurity within ones "Territory"

After reading chapter 4 of Hale's "Making Whiteness," similar to Matt's comment, I was also struck by what appeared to be the notion of"white territory." As Hale, eloquently describes throughout the chapter, I was incredibly intrigued by the rise of the black middle class population and its"threat" to "whiteness." The rise of a middle class population seemed to create a level of insecurity amongst poor whites and as Hale puts, "made them visible" to a territory formally known as "white". I was interested in discussing the concept of "consumer culture," and how it may have both inexplicitly or explicitly instigated and/or perpetuated the subconscious fear amongst the southern white demographic of blacks potentially "taking over" or invading their territory that they felt was rightfully theirs. How/does this play a role in our society today?

"In an increasingly anonymous world where class and race status depended upon appearances, racial disorder endangered the very meaning of white racial identity"(129).