Antiracism is Anti-Abolitionism
ANTITHESIS
Many are in a rush to be on the right side of history, especially Black history. Though well intentioned, because of our unfamiliarity with the proper way to interpret history, many unknowingly embrace ideas that have historically hurt Black people. Ibram X. Kendi’s best selling book "How to be an Antiracist" has won many people over as a solution to end racism. I disagree. Now, some of you are probably thinking, what’s wrong with being against racism? I would say, “nothing!” I’m not against the problem of racism. I’m against Kendi’s definition of racism because it stifles the upward mobility of Black people.
ANTIRACISM
Now the question we are asking ourselves these days is, what is racism? What is antiracism? What does it mean to not be racist? In the book, racism is not identified as a moral problem but a statistical problem - racial disparity. The goal is racial equity. The way to achieve this goal is with antiracist policies. What’s an antiracist policy? It is a policy that leads to equal outcomes. Kendi argues that “racist policies” are a more accurate term in articulating racial inequality. Better than systemic racism, institutional racism and structural racism.
Antiracist policy is a false dichotomy - a logical fallacy, which occurs when a limited number of options are presented as being the only options. Antiracism presents options that only allow for one to be a racist or an antiracist, there is no option for not racist. The way this works is that if you support racist policies you're a racist and if you support antiracist policies you’re an antiracist. Kendi argues that the problem of racial disparity comes from capitalism. He argues that racism and capitalism are conjoined twins. If capitalism causes racism, then its economic alternative socialism causes antiracism.
He goes on to say, I keep using the term “anti-capitalist” as opposed to socialist or communist to include the people who publicly or privately question or loathe capitalism but do not identify as socialist or communist. *1
I’m not going to argue that capitalism is perfect. No economy is. It’s all about trade-offs. We must remember that there is no such thing as a pure capitalist or pure socialist economy - economies vary in degree. Capitalism has its pros and cons just like socialism. It’s pro is freedom to choose which results in a better quality of life for all. The con is social disparity. In socialism, the pro is a closer margin of equity (equal outcome) for all. Its con is limited choices which leads to a lower quality of life for all. I don't doubt that racist policies exist, in fact I’ve investigated Canada’s racist policies on my podcast the Six Cents Report. Policy is not a wholesale solution, even good policy has unintended consequences. It is impossible to achieve economic equity (equal outcome) when people have the freedom to choose, the only alternative to achieve this goal is by force. I believe capitalism, preserves hope and ensures dignity that comes from personal agency (responsibility). Which certain Black communities are desperately in need of.
ANTIBLACK
Tradionally, in the Black community capitalism is blamed for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. What I have noticed as of late is that we are more trusting of the secondary sources that are sympathetic to the Black plight over primary sources that come from White voices. Who can blame us! However, Black people are not a monolithic group. We do not all think the same, act the same or all have the same experiences. There are Black people who disagree with the capitalism = racism narrative. We can go as far back as Abolitionists (those who want to end slavery) like Booker T. Washington, Olaudah Equiano, Fredrick Douglas up until the present day economists like Walter Williams, Shelby Steele, Glenn Loury and Thomas Sowell. Mr. Sowell, who is a retired columnist for the New York Times and is a resident scholar at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University states that:
“Since capitalism was named by its enemies…it is perhaps not surprising that the name is completely misleading. Despite the name, capitalism is not an ‘ism.’ It is not a philosophy but an economy. Ultimately it is nothing more and nothing less than an economy not run by political authorities.”*2
The term capitalism was coined by its first great opponent Karl Marx and has had a stigma attached to it ever since. Scottish economist Adam Smith who is known as the father of economics didn’t use the term capitalism but “Free Market” and or “Free Economy” He argued that slavery and the free market were incompitable in his 1776 foundational work The Wealth of Nations. The Free Market is free in that individuals have the freedom to use their potential to fail or prosper. The problem with antiracism is it denies black people the freedom to do both aprat from racist and antiracist policies.
ANTIHISTORY
As a graduate from Tyndales history program I don’t want you to make the same mistake Kendi makes in reading history. Which has led to his misunderstanding of the liberation of black people. Historiography is the study of historical writing. To become better historians we must know the difference between a primary source a secondary source and what that means for the interpretation of events
Primary source: Defined as a person involved in the event directly or indirectly like an eyewitness. He or she leaves behind documentation in the form of artwork, diary, letters, etc.. Primary sources are valuable in that they are honest accounts of history. Free from the pressure of political correctness.
Secondary source: One step removed from the primary source. People use primary sources to inform their opinions and give their own interpretation of the events documented in the primary source. A secondary source can be bias free, if it allows the primary source to speak for itself.
What many followers of antiracist ideology don’t realize is that racist enslavers were anti-capitalists. When you read the primary sources of anti-abolitionists (those against ending slavery) like John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), George Fitzhugh (1806–1881), and James Henry Hammond (1807–1864) you see they were anti-capitalist.
John C. Calhoun was elected twice as a vice president of the United States. He thought slave labour was better than paid labour. He explained his reason in a speech on the Senate floor in 1837. Calhoun argued that the living conditions of a slave were better than the wretched conditions of the poor labourer. If the employee were to get sick the employer would replace him. But if a slave were to fall ill he would be in better hands on a plantation because he would be among friends, family, and master.*3 Captivity is better than capitalism
George Fitzhugh held government positions but was mostly known for his pro-slavery writing. He published many books, including Sociology for the South and Cannibals All! The only difference is “free labor is cheaper than slave labor.” Employers are like masters without the responsibility of a master to feed and house his workers. Thus employees are like slaves without the rights of a slave. “Slaves without a master!”*4 One of the major arguments againt capitalism is the exploitative relationship between the empoyer and employee.
James Henry Hammond was an elected official from South Carolina, for which he served as the state’s representative to the U.S. House of Representatives. He believed the natural system of capitalism was primitive, patriarchal, a monster without a heart. His annimosity towards capitalism sounds like Ibram Kendi. The only difference is James Hammond knew that capitalism would set black people free.*5
ANTIDOTE
Antiracism is anti-abolitionism because both are anti-capitalism. Just as anti-abolitionists did not believe Blacks could be self-sufficient neither do antiracists. For better or worse Black power is dependent on the white powers that be. Antiracism is anti-abolitionism is not an oxymoran but Kendi’s being anti-capitalist but being pro-liberation is. The free market has made it possible for him to have the number one selling book in America and is now able to be the director of the center for Antiracist Research at Boston University. In the same vein, if proponents of antiracism aren't paying attention they will hurt Black people rather than help them. Instead of being on the right side of history, antiracists will repeat it by promoting the anti-capitalist values of enslavers. As I said prior, capitalism isn’t perfect but as it relates to the history of the economic mobility of black people the benefits have far outweighed the costs. Dont take my word for it, check the sources.
*1 Kendi, Ibram X. How to Be an Antiracist. New York: One World, 2019.
*2 Thomas Sowell, The Vision of the Anointed (New York: Basic Books, 1995), 207.
*3 The Papers of John C. Calhoun , 13:396
*4 Robert E. May, The Southern Dream of a Caribbean Empire, 1854–1861 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1989); and Matthew Karp, This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2016).
*5 Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! , 17.
*6Kolozi, Peter. 2017. Conservatives against Capitalism : From the Industrial Revolution to Globalization. New York: Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/kolo16652.