Ta-Nehisi Coates on complexity, clarity, and truth.
The Gray Area with Sean Illing
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Opposition to apartheid has nothing to do with valorizing the oppressed
Opposition to systems of oppression should not be grounded in a belief that the oppressed possess inherent moral superiority. Historical movements, such as the civil rights movement, often presented the struggle as a moral battle, leading to misconceptions about the justification for resistance. Regardless of the actions or philosophies of leaders like Martin Luther King or Malcolm X, the foundational issue remains that segregation and oppression are categorically wrong. The moral failings of a system cannot be reduced to the behavior of individuals on either side; instead, it is the system itself that is fundamentally flawed.
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