The Racist Roots of Parler’s Weirdly French Name

From par-lay to par-lor, it’s deeply symbolic that right-wing extremists have found refuge in the app

A group sings parlor songs, including “At Coontown’s Picnic,” c. 1905. Photo: Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images.

Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol last week, and President Donald Trump’s removal from Twitter and Facebook, downloads of the “free speech” app Parler have reportedly surged by more than 500%. Parler is a…