The White supremacists who attacked the Capitol on 1/6 claimed they were defending America from the coming destruction of an antiracist politics. This fearmongering piece argues antiracist demands at schools “would destroy the institutions themselves.”

White supremacist violence is tacitly being fomented by pieces like this one. McWhorter urged people to “resist destructive demands” and press “for the very survival of the institution,” and praised a professor who said the demands would lead to a “’civil war on campus.’” 2/9
And, as usual when writing on antiracism, McWhorter is arguing against himself. He misrepresented the position of campus activists and argued against his own misrepresentations. 3/9
He misrepresented these activists as believing their institutions are entirely racist, have never made antiracist changes, and need “to be blown up.” Then he points to the reforms these schools have made. 4/9
In fact, these activists would almost certainly acknowledge the existence of past reforms. But the issue is these institutions still have widespread and pervasive inequities and injustices which of course McWhorter fails to mention. 5/9
And the man who said racism is over after Obama’s election in 2008 and now says racism still exists, is the same man who refuses to point out its existence. Instead, this Black man spends his time going after all the people challenging anti-Black racism. 6/9
What are students and faculty demanding? More faculty of color on lily white campuses. Antiracist training for people who’ve had none. Rewarding unpaid diversity work. Transforming racist curriculums. Hold racially abusive people accountable. Impacting racism off campus. Etc. 7/9
But in the mind of McWhorter—like Trump and the White supremacists McWhorter claims to oppose—antiracist changes, ushering in racial equity and justice, will destroy our institutions, will destroy America. 8/9
No matter all their continued fearmongering and violence, they will not stop us. We will not stop advocating for the rooting out of racism and White supremacy, knowing that as we do, we are not only making our lives better, we are making our institutions better. 9/9

More from Government

This article by Jim Spellar for @LabourList misses the point about why Labour needs to think seriously about constitutional reform - and have a programme for it ready for government.


The state of our constitution is a bit like the state of the neglected electric wiring in an old house. If you are moving into the house, sorting it out is a bit tedious. Couldn’t you spend the time and money on a new sound system?

But if you ignore the wiring, you’ll find that you can’t safely install the new sound system. And your house may well catch fire.

Any programme for social democratic government requires a state with capacity, and a state that has clear mechanisms of accountability, for all the big and all the small decisions that in takes, in which people have confidence.

That is not a description of the modern UK state.

You May Also Like

Still wondering about this 🤔


save as q