Laundering Black Rage: Capitalism, Empire, and The Mechanics of Co-optation
May 10, 2024
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Rasul Mowatt and Too Black discuss their book on how Black Rage is co-opted for capitalist gains, touching on George Floyd protests, Black Wall Street, cities as sites of laundering, and Black entrepreneurship myths. They challenge the narrative on Black wealth destruction, unmask historical manipulation, and explore empire's internal disputes.
Black rage challenges capitalist State by resisting co-optation.
Cities are sites of extraction and laundering, erasing indigenous presence.
Geography reveals roots of black rage in historical conquest and oppression.
Conflict zones in cities affected by gentrification and displacement.
Advocacy for reverse laundering to support marginalized communities and anti-colonial struggles.
Deep dives
The Roots of Black Rage and Response to Oppression
Black rage is a response to historical conquest manifested through oppression. Lauren Hill's lyrics and deep social analysis emphasize the collective experience of rage, not just individual anger. Black rage challenges the established order and social conditioning, incubating and building within oppressed communities.
The Phases of Black Rage and Class Distinctions
Black rage progresses through phases: incubation, labor, and commodification. The labor phase involves uprising and potential revolution if organized. Class distinctions between militant rage of the masses and narcissistic rage of the elite highlight the struggle over social capital and revolutionary potential.
Cities, Sites of Laundering and Extraction
Cities historically function as sites of extraction and laundering, continuing conquest and exploitation. The colonial legacy shapes urban development, erasing indigenous presence. Cities are economic hubs for resource extraction, managing populations for colonial power and social control.
The Role of Geography in Understanding Black Rage
Geography reveals the roots of black rage in historical conquest and oppression. Cities as locations of opportunity and design mask their role in extraction and social control. Understanding cities as sites of laundering and colonization deepens analysis of black rage and systemic injustice.
The Impact of Gentrification on Conflict Zones and Displacement
Discussion on how conflict zones in cities experiencing strikes, riots, and homelessness are affected by gentrification, leading to potential displacement. Cities are described as centers for capital and population governance, with laundering being an extension of capital movement and governance strategies.
Historical Perspective on the Tulsa Massacre and Myth of Black Wall Street
Exploration of the Tulsa Race Massacre and Black Wall Street, highlighting the complex historical context behind the segregated neighborhood of Greenwood, its businesses, and the economic impact. The episode challenges the mythos surrounding Black Wall Street, addressing the disparity between perception and historical reality.
Critique of Black Capitalism in the Modern Context
Critical analysis of how figures like Killer Mike and Jay Z promote black businesses and banking as solutions for racial inequality, contrasting the fantasy of black wealth and community control with the harsh reality of economic impact. The episode delves into the commodification and exploitation of the narrative around Black Wall Street and the implications of pushing black capitalism amidst societal challenges.
Exploring the Myth of Black Wall Street
The podcast delves into the myth and historical inaccuracies surrounding the events of Black Wall Street, particularly highlighting how the narrative has been embellished over time. It discusses the importance of distinguishing between myth and fantasy, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of historical events beyond popular culture representations. By examining the complexities of folklore and urban legends surrounding Black Wall Street, the episode sheds light on how historical events can be distorted and perpetuated.
Reverse Laundering and Resource Redistribution
The podcast presents the concept of reverse laundering as a strategy to redirect resources from legitimate avenues to support marginalized communities and anti-colonial struggles. It emphasizes the significance of utilizing available resources to fund initiatives that challenge the status quo and resist state-sanctioned narratives. By advocating for a collective approach to resource redistribution and activism, the episode encourages listeners to consider alternative forms of organizing and supporting community-driven efforts for social change.
Rasul Mowatt and Too Black join Breht to discuss their new book Laundering Black Rage: The Washing of Black Death, People, Property, and Profits. The book is a spatial and historical critique of the capitalist State that examines how Black Rage—conceived as a constructive and logical response to the conquest of resources, land, and human beings racialized as Black—is cleaned for the unyielding means of White capital. Interlacing political theory with international histories of Black rebellion, it presents a thoughtful challenge to the counterinsurgent tactics of the State that consistently convert Black Rage into a commodity to be bought, sold, and repressed. Laundering Black Rage investigates how the Rage directed at the police murder of George Floyd could be marshalled to funnel the Black Lives Matter movement into corporate advertising and questionable leadership, while increasing the police budgets inside the laundry cities of capital - largely with our consent.
Essayist/Performer Too Black and Geographer Rasul A. Mowatt assert Black Rage as a threat to the flow of capital and the established order of things, which must therefore be managed by the process of laundering.
Intertwining stories of Black resistance throughout the African diaspora, State building under capitalism, cities as sites of laundering, and the world making of empire, Laundering Black Rage also lays the groundwork for upending the laundering process through an anti-colonial struggle of reverse-laundering conquest. Relevant to studies of race and culture, history, politics, and the built environment, this pathbreaking work is essential reading for scholars and organizers enraged at capitalism and White supremacy laundering their work for nefarious means.
