I've read this piece you reference and it's very interesting. My position on Black intellectuals is that that the primary purpose of a Black person is to explain race to white people + be a ventriloquist for the Black population writ large. Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ibram X. Kendi are perfect examples of this; their politics dont threaten the white progressive majority in publishing and media while talking about race in ways that dont benefit the everyday lives of Blacks.
Even thinking casually about past notable figures, Black intellectuals are basically only known for advocating around racial issues. This is something I see everywhere; if a Black person has written about a topic, it will always include a racial dimension. If a Black person is advocating for something, there's a racial element.
Even on Substack, with very rare exception, the types of Black writers who I see people read are talking about race.
I think there is a certain expectation and I literally have no idea how to otherwise break or end this. Because politically, I've noticed Blacks prefer to read other Black thinkers and don't seem to draw much inspiration from non-Black sources (moreso on the left).
I've read this piece you reference and it's very interesting. My position on Black intellectuals is that that the primary purpose of a Black person is to explain race to white people + be a ventriloquist for the Black population writ large. Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ibram X. Kendi are perfect examples of this; their politics dont threaten the white progressive majority in publishing and media while talking about race in ways that dont benefit the everyday lives of Blacks.
Even thinking casually about past notable figures, Black intellectuals are basically only known for advocating around racial issues. This is something I see everywhere; if a Black person has written about a topic, it will always include a racial dimension. If a Black person is advocating for something, there's a racial element.
Even on Substack, with very rare exception, the types of Black writers who I see people read are talking about race.
I think there is a certain expectation and I literally have no idea how to otherwise break or end this. Because politically, I've noticed Blacks prefer to read other Black thinkers and don't seem to draw much inspiration from non-Black sources (moreso on the left).