Trotsky warned about putting a minus where our opponents put a plus. Is Ada criticising the work ethic to score political points? In any case today’s race ideologues argue for race quotas, entitlements and compensation for historical injustices, not hard work. Sewell has more in common with the racial uplift philosophy than he admits. Sewell’s charity is called Generating Genius, his focus is racial, on young black boys. If genius is natural why would it need generating? Genius no matter how natural requires hard work. Perhaps success has made Lord Sewell complacent.
I don't think it is controversial to claim that genius is a product both of nature and of nurture. Lord Sewell is merely aiming to provide the nurture bit of the deal, surely?
Certainly on this site we are sensitive to the exaggeration and politicisation of racial disadvantage. My point was that ‘we have to work twice as hard’ has other roots - in the philosophy of racial uplift. I also pointed out that the racial uplift philosophy can be seen in Sewell’s work.
Early 20th century, emerging US middle class saw it as their duty to raise up the less advanced blacks. There is an ambivalence around the term now, as it has a paternalistic connotation. Good question maybe the Equiano project can do a piece on it.
Ok, that's interesting, I can see how that could be viewed as paternalistic, certainly now, and I would be interested to read a full piece on that. Cheers!
Apologies for my didacticism but critique also involves gaining an in depth understanding of the thing that you are critiquing, as well as developing your own perspective (twice the effort?). Marx was both a foremost authority on British political economy and its greatest critic. Today opponents and supporters of Marx have raging arguments about his legacy while knowing little or nothing about political economy. Perhaps most people want to take a shortcut or are more interested in promoting their own ideas than understanding what they are criticising.
I like this part about how Black conservatives are maligned for not being liberal. No one considers it racist to a) assume all Black people should be, or are, liberal/progressive or b) that any Black person who isnt those things should be subject to violence/ostracization/antagonism. How is THAT not racist?
I also think that a lot of Black people are afraid of white people and will only engage issues that will garner them the most sympathetic support. When a white lesbian couple adopted and murdered their Black children, there was very little sustained outrage about this. (But there was a hyper fixation on their son hugging a cop). When a white man went to Buffalo and murdered Black residents, this is never brought up. But you can buy tshirts that list the names of all the Black people murdered by the police. Meanwhile, Black criminals murdering Black residents is a non-starter for many Black liberals/progressives.
All of it is performative. It is easier to be mad at a white person who doesnt accept Beyonce or want a Black Ariel. Black people are more interested in Black pop culture than Black people. I think the police thing is only salient because historically this has been a problem (ie stop and frisk, the central park 5, rodney king, etc). I have found a lot of Black people prefer to make Black history onnipresent versus adjusting their perspectives. So Black politics is really rooted in the past, not the present or future.
I think the racism thing is interesting. Part of me thinks that Black people dont know what to do about racists and wont commit to any solutions outside of forced inclusivity/diversity training. You call a white person racist and then what? A lot of Black people wont even admit cancel culture exists, which is part of the victimhood narrative that allows Black people to escape accountability and insist on powerlessness.
A lot of Black do endure racism and have no recourse. No one to help them or do anything to make it stop. A lot of Black people are really on our own. Meanwhile, a Black liberal calls herself an activist for pointing out (exclusively) white racism while having no substantive politics that could help actually Black people.
Trotsky warned about putting a minus where our opponents put a plus. Is Ada criticising the work ethic to score political points? In any case today’s race ideologues argue for race quotas, entitlements and compensation for historical injustices, not hard work. Sewell has more in common with the racial uplift philosophy than he admits. Sewell’s charity is called Generating Genius, his focus is racial, on young black boys. If genius is natural why would it need generating? Genius no matter how natural requires hard work. Perhaps success has made Lord Sewell complacent.
I don't think it is controversial to claim that genius is a product both of nature and of nurture. Lord Sewell is merely aiming to provide the nurture bit of the deal, surely?
Certainly on this site we are sensitive to the exaggeration and politicisation of racial disadvantage. My point was that ‘we have to work twice as hard’ has other roots - in the philosophy of racial uplift. I also pointed out that the racial uplift philosophy can be seen in Sewell’s work.
I have no knowledge of the philosophy of racial uplift, you'll have to help me - what is that exactly?
Early 20th century, emerging US middle class saw it as their duty to raise up the less advanced blacks. There is an ambivalence around the term now, as it has a paternalistic connotation. Good question maybe the Equiano project can do a piece on it.
Ok, that's interesting, I can see how that could be viewed as paternalistic, certainly now, and I would be interested to read a full piece on that. Cheers!
Apologies for my didacticism but critique also involves gaining an in depth understanding of the thing that you are critiquing, as well as developing your own perspective (twice the effort?). Marx was both a foremost authority on British political economy and its greatest critic. Today opponents and supporters of Marx have raging arguments about his legacy while knowing little or nothing about political economy. Perhaps most people want to take a shortcut or are more interested in promoting their own ideas than understanding what they are criticising.
I like this part about how Black conservatives are maligned for not being liberal. No one considers it racist to a) assume all Black people should be, or are, liberal/progressive or b) that any Black person who isnt those things should be subject to violence/ostracization/antagonism. How is THAT not racist?
I also think that a lot of Black people are afraid of white people and will only engage issues that will garner them the most sympathetic support. When a white lesbian couple adopted and murdered their Black children, there was very little sustained outrage about this. (But there was a hyper fixation on their son hugging a cop). When a white man went to Buffalo and murdered Black residents, this is never brought up. But you can buy tshirts that list the names of all the Black people murdered by the police. Meanwhile, Black criminals murdering Black residents is a non-starter for many Black liberals/progressives.
All of it is performative. It is easier to be mad at a white person who doesnt accept Beyonce or want a Black Ariel. Black people are more interested in Black pop culture than Black people. I think the police thing is only salient because historically this has been a problem (ie stop and frisk, the central park 5, rodney king, etc). I have found a lot of Black people prefer to make Black history onnipresent versus adjusting their perspectives. So Black politics is really rooted in the past, not the present or future.
I think the racism thing is interesting. Part of me thinks that Black people dont know what to do about racists and wont commit to any solutions outside of forced inclusivity/diversity training. You call a white person racist and then what? A lot of Black people wont even admit cancel culture exists, which is part of the victimhood narrative that allows Black people to escape accountability and insist on powerlessness.
A lot of Black do endure racism and have no recourse. No one to help them or do anything to make it stop. A lot of Black people are really on our own. Meanwhile, a Black liberal calls herself an activist for pointing out (exclusively) white racism while having no substantive politics that could help actually Black people.