Until recently, the universalist aspects of those struggles was the dominant one. But it's not to say that they were kind of completely separate. There's a distinction between identity and identity politics. Identities are crucial to allow us to relate to other people. Politics should be a means of overcoming or going beyond them.
Does the conversation on race need a reset? That is the question that Coleman Hughes and Kenan Malik explored when they came to Intelligence Squared in January 2022. Hughes is an acclaimed American writer and host of the award-winning podcast Conversations with Coleman. In 2019 at the age of 23 he testified before Congress against reparations for slavery and has roundly criticised the work of other Black writers on race such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo. In his view, their brand of anti-racism encourages a sense of victimhood among Black Americans and sows division between different racial groups. Malik is a British author and broadcaster, whose new book Not So Black and White explores the history of the idea of race and invites us to challenge many of the assumptions behind today’s culture wars.
If you would like to support Coleman Hughes and his work, you can do so at colemanhughes.org.
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