A lively exchange on the nature of effective political change between Rep. Keith Ellison and Dhoruba Bin Wahad. This was actually part of a longer talk by Bin Wahad which took place Feb. 28 of last year, but Ellison happened to be in the audience when Bin Wahad started to criticize the Congressional Black Caucus.
From: Kasama
2 comments:
Salaams,
I might not have standing to make this observation rom DBW's perspective, but while radical critics who bluntly and uncompromisingly speaking truth to power provide an important service--even if they sometimes go off the deep end--but this ego-driven gladatorial approach to doing it doesn't help much IMO. Even if DBW's radical analysis is ultimately right--however uncomfortable it makes people--this wasn't a conversation. Also, I get a kick out of how DBW's mocking KE for being inadequately radical and inauthentic (he challenges Keith, "Who's we?"), but then backs RIGHT DOWN when Keith retorts, "The people in this room." I found Keith's response very impressive. Having said that, KBW's right about white indifference to the fate of Black people--just look at the utter indifference to Apartheid criminal justice system, and his point about the Communist Party was on point--they weren't perfect, but they consciously and courageously challenged Jim Crow long before even the Civil Rights movement. Funny, how they never get any credit for that.
wasalaam,
I agree in general with your comments. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't seem able to find more common ground and I agree that ego was part of it.
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