Excellent article. When Woolley founded Operation Black Vote in the 1990's I was of the view that this was yet more paternalism; as though black people needed someone to hold their hand and guide them to the polling station. My view was that people were free to vote or not, and that not voting could also be a political statement. OBV pretended to be non-partisan, but in later years Woolley made statements about how the ethnic vote could have an impact on elections, it's fair to say that his concern was not with increasing the Conservative vote. Woolley (like others) has carved out a niche for himself and is celebrated within the establishment and among white 'progressives' the average black person will not have heard of him. The model of 'black' politics over the past few decades has been for self-appointed or chosen intermediaries, who have a vested interest in maintaining the pretence of a homogeneous 'black community'.
Total alignment with my values and attitudes. If there are over 1 billion black people on the planet, there are over 1 billion life stories, experiences and perspectives. Cave man narratives cannot capture reality for a billion people. Alienation of the individual labeled as Black is the profound spiritual problem of our era in a world lacking nuance and complexity. Some never see the individual in Blackness.
Thank you for sharing these important points, especially your last one. I believe it succinctly highlights one of the most significant issues with identity politics.
Excellent article. When Woolley founded Operation Black Vote in the 1990's I was of the view that this was yet more paternalism; as though black people needed someone to hold their hand and guide them to the polling station. My view was that people were free to vote or not, and that not voting could also be a political statement. OBV pretended to be non-partisan, but in later years Woolley made statements about how the ethnic vote could have an impact on elections, it's fair to say that his concern was not with increasing the Conservative vote. Woolley (like others) has carved out a niche for himself and is celebrated within the establishment and among white 'progressives' the average black person will not have heard of him. The model of 'black' politics over the past few decades has been for self-appointed or chosen intermediaries, who have a vested interest in maintaining the pretence of a homogeneous 'black community'.
Yes, maintaining the idea of Black homogeneity causes more harm than good, both on an individual and group basis.
Total alignment with my values and attitudes. If there are over 1 billion black people on the planet, there are over 1 billion life stories, experiences and perspectives. Cave man narratives cannot capture reality for a billion people. Alienation of the individual labeled as Black is the profound spiritual problem of our era in a world lacking nuance and complexity. Some never see the individual in Blackness.
Thank you for sharing these important points, especially your last one. I believe it succinctly highlights one of the most significant issues with identity politics.