Performative stances on race can have deadly consequences


Nearly a quarter of a century ago, then-President Bill Clinton called for a national conversation about race. Since then, we haven't shut up.
The question is whether much of value is being said. Of course, a conversation presupposed a dialogue rather than a series of monologues being shouted at one another in direct competition. Not much gets heard above the din.
Most of the time, this merely leads to further division in an era of bad feelings. Sometimes, the consequences turn deadly. That's what led President Biden to have to engage in a somber discussion of race. Some thought he should have gone further in calling prominent people out for their racial rhetoric. Others don't think the man who accused Republicans of plans to "put y'all back in chains" has the credibility to preach racial unity.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There is a growing trend on the right to view fearlessness in the face of accusations of racism as a badge of courage. Think back to the Tea Party-era placard that said, "No matter what this sign says, you'll call it racist." That can be true. It can also lead you in bad directions.
That's not because there is any shortage of examples of progressives weaponizing accusations of racism in ways that range from the counterproductive to grifting and absurd. It's not at all clear that the woke expansion of what it means to be racist has done anything to make the more broadly shared definition — racial hatred — less common. Neither the Buffalo murderer nor the Brooklyn subway shooter needed to augment their bigotry with institutional power to achieve their heinous acts, suggesting limits to the explanatory power of fashionable liberal theories about race.
Performative wokeness often ignores the very people in whose name it claims to speak. Performative anti-political correctness sits uneasily alongside hopes of a new multiracial working-class conservatism. There is a way to talk about race that might benefit the country more than the yammering that has dominated to date: thoughtfully — and carefully.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
The Supreme Court and Congress have Planned Parenthood in their crosshairs
Talking Points Trump's budget bill and the court's ruling threaten abortion access
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Is Trump's military parade 'just a parade'?
Talking Point Critics see an 'echo of authoritarianism'
-
Is Trump's LA troop deployment about order or authoritarianism?
Talking Points President: 'We're going to have troops everywhere.'
-
Is Trump trying to take over Congress?
Talking Points Separation of powers at stake in Library of Congress fight
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly