The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Elites have captured identity politics

May 9, 2022

In this engaging discussion, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, a professor of philosophy at Georgetown University and author of Elite Capture, dives deep into the co-option of identity politics by the wealthy and powerful. He examines how this phenomenon drains grassroots movements of genuine progress, while 'woke capitalism' often serves as a superficial fix. The conversation critiques the tension between corporate interests and progressive goals, emphasizing the need for a new approach that truly redistributes power and resources to marginalized communities.

58:29

Episode guests

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

[[Elite capture is inevitable in social hierarchy]]

03:36

[[Identity politics is exclusionary and limits coalition building]]

05:15

Rooms in Identity politics

04:11

Deferential Politics can still reproduce relative elite capture

01:41

Intro

2min

The Complex Dynamics of Identity Politics and Power Dynamics

5min

Critiques of Identity Politics

11min

Understanding Elite Capture and Sensory Inclusion Challenges

2min

Understanding Elite Capture

16min

Redefining Identity Politics

6min

Woke Capitalism and Political Movements

15min

Exploring Elite Influence on Identity Politics

3min

Sean Illing talks with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, whose new book Elite Capture is about how the wealthy and powerful co-opt political movements, and use the language of progressive activism to further their ends. They discuss the history and meaning of "identity politics," the notion of "woke capitalism," and how to arrive at a more constructive politics — one that actually engages directly in redistributing social resources and power, rather than achieving merely symbolic gains.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

Guest: Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò (@OlufemiOTaiwo), author; professor of philosophy, Georgetown University

References:

Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (Haymarket; 2022)
"Identity Politics and Elite Capture" by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (Boston Review; May 7, 2020)
"Niani S. Phillips is an Environmentalist with a serious commitment to sustainability." (McDonald's YouTube; Mar. 31)
The Combahee River Collective Statement (1977)
"Until Black Women Are Free, None of Us Will Be Free" by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor (New Yorker; July 20, 2020)
"Black Lives Matter Secretly Bought a $6 Million House" by Sean Campbell (Intelligencer; Apr. 4)
Why I Am Not A Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto by Jessa Crispin (Melville House; 2017)
"What's New About Woke Racial Capitalism (And What Isn't)" by Enzo Rossi and Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (Spectre; Dec. 18, 2020)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Patrick Boyd
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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