Every "culture and race" goes without "something", but blacks are structurally deprived of particular opportunities that give them a disproportionately small share of the nation's wealth. Blacks, representing 12%-13% of the nation's population, own about 1% of its wealth. Of course this propels some degree of hopelessness and nihilism: If you have an institution of oppression over your head for hundreds of years, you might develop hopelessness. The solution, of course, is activism, both within white and black communities, producing real and achievable outcomes.
The trouble with activism is that even when it approaches a transformative solution(as it did with black radical thinkers of the 20th century), or achieves real and measurable outcomes (as with the civil rights mass movements, civil litigation and new law): these good results may prove impermanent depending as they are on either sustained activism, and the unreliable nature of private supports including media attention, philanthropy, strategic alliances, et al. Finally, the changing and changeable nature of Gargantua appears in the 21st century as the malleable structure of undefeated white supremacist thought, the cold war of racialized violence, and the power of the state to maintain white privilege at all costs. Multiple and multifaceted approaches at every level of human existence would be more inclusive, realistic and effective -- also a very long march stumbling and falling forward it would seem. Subtlety and lifelong 'guerilla' actions would be necessary, including the training of children in homes and schools to resist dehumanization of any sort, requiring a different sort of parent at least; deep changes in health and medical care to end pervasive neglect and hostility to black life in medicine; and so on. In education, this means for all children that the default human being is no longer a white person. Whiteness as an exemplary human ontology has to be dismissed or put in the dock and examined by all. In medicine it surely means the exposure of certain practices that do not appear racist but in their effects on cancer research, access to care and treatments prove to be so - The immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks being a most remarkable case; and finally universal single payer access to health care for all children of any class of parents to begin early in life assuring the physical foundation. Certainly there are other undiscovered cases as remarkable as Lacks in every area of human inquiry and endeavor. This is a long process and arduous way forward, and at least 500 years in duration forward from this point in time. Looking back, it has been 500 years of discovery, invasion, genocide, human trafficking and breeding, imperialism, colonialism and post colonialism to reach this dismal state. Community activism as a solution is merely the bothersome bite of the fruit fly on the hard butt of Gargantua!
The trouble with activism is that even when it approaches a transformative solution(as it did with black radical thinkers of the 20th century), or achieves real and measurable outcomes (as with the civil rights mass movements, civil litigation and new law): these good results may prove impermanent depending as they are on either sustained activism, and the unreliable nature of private supports including media attention, philanthropy, strategic alliances, et al. Finally, the changing and changeable nature of Gargantua appears in the 21st century as the malleable structure of undefeated white supremacist thought, the cold war of racialized violence, and the power of the state to maintain white privilege at all costs. Multiple and multifaceted approaches at every level of human existence would be more inclusive, realistic and effective -- also a very long march stumbling and falling forward it would seem. Subtlety and lifelong 'guerilla' actions would be necessary, including the training of children in homes and schools to resist dehumanization of any sort, requiring a different sort of parent at least; deep changes in health and medical care to end pervasive neglect and hostility to black life in medicine; and so on. In education, this means for all children that the default human being is no longer a white person. Whiteness as an exemplary human ontology has to be dismissed or put in the dock and examined by all. In medicine it surely means the exposure of certain practices that do not appear racist but in their effects on cancer research, access to care and treatments prove to be so - The immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks being a most remarkable case; and finally universal single payer access to health care for all children of any class of parents to begin early in life assuring the physical foundation. Certainly there are other undiscovered cases as remarkable as Lacks in every area of human inquiry and endeavor. This is a long process and arduous way forward, and at least 500 years in duration forward from this point in time. Looking back, it has been 500 years of discovery, invasion, genocide, human trafficking and breeding, imperialism, colonialism and post colonialism to reach this dismal state. Community activism as a solution is merely the bothersome bite of the fruit fly on the hard butt of Gargantua!
It's been a few years. I hope you've educated yourself on Black history and the real evils of capitalism by now.
December 28, 2018 at 8:52 PM
Abstract of Cornel West’s “Nihilism in black America” By Jenny Lowry
Description of Article
West argues that the dilemma of African Americans is divided into two groups: the liberal structuralists who “highlight the structural constraints of the life chances of black people” (275) and the conservative behaviorists who “stress the behavioral impediments to black upward mobility” (275). West contends that these arguments do not come close to understand the problem with African Americans, that the real problem is the threat of nihilism.
Nihilism, according to West, is the “lived experience of coping with a life of horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness, and (most important) lovelessness” (277). African Americans are threatened by the lack of hope and the “absence of meaning” (277) in their lives.
Historically, blacks were armored against this threat through culture and community, but something happened along the way that changed this. West believes that this change occurred because of “the commodification of black life and the crisis of black leadership” (278). His solution to the nihilistic threat in black America is take “collective responsibility” and to play an active role in politics that includes many leaders.
Comments and Questions
West argues that “structures and behavior are inseparable”; that people act a certain way according the situation or circumstance they are in. So, a black man raised in the “hood” will act a certain way, while a black man raised in the suburbs will act a different way. He also argues that culture is “structural” like “economy or politics”; that culture is influenced by economy and politics. In this sense, it seems that culture is inseparable from politics and economy; that culture is often times made by politics and economy.
He argues that “economic deprivation and political powerlessness” (276) are not the only reasons for the nihilistic threat to black America. Both the liberal structuralists and the conservative behaviorists ignore the nihilistic threat, and the conservative behaviorists add to it. He argues that this threat is invading black America, but the only example he gives is that of commodification of goods in poverty ridden communities. It sounds like he is arguing that those people are being threatened by nihilism because they cannot afford what other people can. So, without certain commodities they are doomed to have no meaning in their lives. This is ridiculous; every culture and every race goes without something, but that does not mean that they are devoid of meaningful lives
West blames history for the problems of black Americans today for their loss of meaning in life. Slavery and white supremacy are prime examples of where nihilism started in America. He argues that while black criminals should be punished for their crimes, capitalism is to blame for the poverty and lost culture that leads them to nihilism and thus criminal behavior. This argument is ludicrous. What about white criminals? Is capitalism to blame for their criminal deeds as well? How can capitalism be the problem for all crime?
He also feels like black politicians, particularly Jesse Jackson, only serve to halt progression toward eliminating this threat. He sees black politicians as narrow minded and over the top; that politicians like these only serve to further repress black Americans and leave them powerless.
While I am not a black American, this article is rather disturbing to me. It seems like West is dooming black Americans with this incurable disease. The black Americans I do know do not seem depressed or void of meaning in their lives. I agree that political progress should be made within black culture, as it should be in many other cultures in America. West’s argument that meaning is lost in black America seems farfetched to me. The fact that he offers no real evidence of his claim or a solution is problematic.
"Cornel West's "Nihilism in black America""
4 Comments -
Every "culture and race" goes without "something", but blacks are structurally deprived of particular opportunities that give them a disproportionately small share of the nation's wealth. Blacks, representing 12%-13% of the nation's population, own about 1% of its wealth. Of course this propels some degree of hopelessness and nihilism: If you have an institution of oppression over your head for hundreds of years, you might develop hopelessness. The solution, of course, is activism, both within white and black communities, producing real and achievable outcomes.
May 2, 2008 at 7:20 PM
The trouble with activism is that even when it approaches a transformative solution(as it did with black radical thinkers of the 20th century), or achieves real and measurable outcomes (as with the civil rights mass movements, civil litigation and new law): these good results may prove impermanent depending as they are on either sustained activism, and the unreliable nature of private supports including media attention, philanthropy, strategic alliances, et al. Finally, the changing and changeable nature of Gargantua appears in the 21st century as the malleable structure of undefeated white supremacist thought, the cold war of racialized violence, and the power of the state to maintain white privilege at all costs. Multiple and multifaceted approaches at every level of human existence would be more inclusive, realistic and effective -- also a very long march stumbling and falling forward it would seem. Subtlety and lifelong 'guerilla' actions would be necessary, including the training of children in homes and schools to resist dehumanization of any sort, requiring a different sort of parent at least; deep changes in health and medical care to end pervasive neglect and hostility to black life in medicine; and so on. In education, this means for all children that the default human being is no longer a white person. Whiteness as an exemplary human ontology has to be dismissed or put in the dock and examined by all. In medicine it surely means the exposure of certain practices that do not appear racist but in their effects on cancer research, access to care and treatments prove to be so - The immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks being a most remarkable case; and finally universal single payer access to health care for all children of any class of parents to begin early in life assuring the physical foundation. Certainly there are other undiscovered cases as remarkable as Lacks in every area of human inquiry and endeavor. This is a long process and arduous way forward, and at least 500 years in duration forward from this point in time. Looking back, it has been 500 years of discovery, invasion, genocide, human trafficking and breeding, imperialism, colonialism and post colonialism to reach this dismal state. Community activism as a solution is merely the bothersome bite of the fruit fly on the hard butt of Gargantua!
June 9, 2012 at 10:09 AM
The trouble with activism is that even when it approaches a transformative solution(as it did with black radical thinkers of the 20th century), or achieves real and measurable outcomes (as with the civil rights mass movements, civil litigation and new law): these good results may prove impermanent depending as they are on either sustained activism, and the unreliable nature of private supports including media attention, philanthropy, strategic alliances, et al. Finally, the changing and changeable nature of Gargantua appears in the 21st century as the malleable structure of undefeated white supremacist thought, the cold war of racialized violence, and the power of the state to maintain white privilege at all costs. Multiple and multifaceted approaches at every level of human existence would be more inclusive, realistic and effective -- also a very long march stumbling and falling forward it would seem. Subtlety and lifelong 'guerilla' actions would be necessary, including the training of children in homes and schools to resist dehumanization of any sort, requiring a different sort of parent at least; deep changes in health and medical care to end pervasive neglect and hostility to black life in medicine; and so on. In education, this means for all children that the default human being is no longer a white person. Whiteness as an exemplary human ontology has to be dismissed or put in the dock and examined by all. In medicine it surely means the exposure of certain practices that do not appear racist but in their effects on cancer research, access to care and treatments prove to be so - The immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks being a most remarkable case; and finally universal single payer access to health care for all children of any class of parents to begin early in life assuring the physical foundation. Certainly there are other undiscovered cases as remarkable as Lacks in every area of human inquiry and endeavor. This is a long process and arduous way forward, and at least 500 years in duration forward from this point in time. Looking back, it has been 500 years of discovery, invasion, genocide, human trafficking and breeding, imperialism, colonialism and post colonialism to reach this dismal state. Community activism as a solution is merely the bothersome bite of the fruit fly on the hard butt of Gargantua!
June 9, 2012 at 10:10 AM
It's been a few years. I hope you've educated yourself on Black history and the real evils of capitalism by now.
December 28, 2018 at 8:52 PM