BLACK NEO-CONSERVATIVES want to "undermine and undo the civil right movement." Such a statement was just one of the many conclusions presented at a lecture titled "Inciting the Counter-Revolution: Race and Black Neo-conservatism in the Post-Civil Rights Era." LaTasha Levy, a 2000 College graduate, is currently writing her master's thesis on the topic at Cornell University's African Studies and Research Center. Levy, a former director of the Luther P. Jackson Cultural Center and former interim assistant dean of the Office of African-American Affairs, spoke on Monday at an event sponsored by the OAAA and the University's NAACP chapter as part of the celebration of Black History Month. In her speech, she made several unsubstantiated criticisms that didn't add constructively to the dialogue of race relations or include any suggestions for alternatives to the black neo-conservative movement. It was merely an exercise in polished invective.
You might be wondering what exactly a black neo-conservative is, and who fits in this category. Levy named several: Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow John McWhorter, George Mason University Economics Prof. Walter Williams and Stanford University Hoover Institution fellow Thomas Sowell, just to name a few.
Levy acknowledged that throughout her research, she questioned whether she was a neo-con, since some of their ideals seemed agreeable. However, she came to the deduction that mirrored her preconceived notions: Black neo-cons "viciously work against black progress."
Throughout her lecture, Levy attempted to describe the beliefs of black neo-cons, but her disdain for their opinions was unmasked with a tone that was often disparaging and disapproving. Black neo-cons "dismiss racism," "blame victimhood," think "blacks themselves are racists and play the race card," "don't scold whites for maintaining hierarchy," "justify their own benefits [given by whites] but deny them to poor black people," "isolate themselves with racist practices of Republicans" and believe in colorblindness, which, according to Levy, "tries to make color invisible," which somehow rationalizes making "black people invisible." Neo-cons "claim to speak the truth about race," but I guess they just don't have the right to do that because they don't hold the majority viewpoint of blacks, which Levy, surprisingly, didn't identify.
The actual policies and proposals of black neo-cons received little attention; Levy only briefly mentioned they were in favor of school vouchers. When questioned after the presentation in private by an audience member, Levy just said, "People still look at it as a way of taking away resources."
When I asked her about support from blacks for such proposals and the relative success of pilot programs such as the one in Washington, D.C., she said that she didn't know what statistics were out there. According to a study released by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in 2004, 57 percent of blacks with children in the household favor vouchers.
She failed to mention other programs, such as Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson's work in achieving President Bush's goal of 5.5 million new minority homeowners by 2010 (which by current projections will be surpassed). For the first time in history, a majority of minorities own homes. Homeownership is correlated with increased college attendance and college graduation rates and decreased crime and unemployment -- tangible benefits that improve individuals' lives.
During her lecture, Levy noted that black neo-cons "make friends with influential whites" and are "compliant with white supremacy" because they receive monetary support from "white elites." Levy did express in an impromptu interview following the lecture that some neo-cons "genuinely believe in their ideals," but during her speech she asserted that they rarely use this money to help black people, instead using it for their "own individual gain." Even some ministers fall under this category, because they "get money from Bush" (an inaccurate description of faith-based initiatives policies, which doesn't line the pockets of individual ministers but allows religious organizations to compete for federal funds to provide social services).
In actuality, Star Parker, a black neo-con whom Levy cited after the lecture, founded the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education, which in addition to advocacy work conducts training clinics and meetings in inner-city areas. Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, runs a home and after-school programs for at-risk teen boys -- just a few examples of black neo-cons investing time, energy and resources towards what Levy labels the black "underclass."
Levy warned of the neo-con allure to which the post-civil rights generation is "susceptible." The "massive conservative movement at Howard University" is one example. It's truly unfortunate that a diversity of voices is merely given lip service by individuals like Levy, but in reality, dissent is utterly discouraged.
The most revealing moment came when I asked her directly if black racism exists (meaning that blacks are just as capable of possessing racist attitudes), and she said no. Her reasoning: "blacks don't have the ability to end racism" or "impose black prejudice" and "whites haven't taken responsibility in positions of power" to eradicate racism. The problem lies in "white attitudes."
Every individual, regardless of skin color, can harbor hatred toward another group. Until this is recognized, true progress in race relations will not occur.
Whitney Blake's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at wblake@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | YesterdayInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
SHRAUGER: McIntire’s three-year model limits opportunities for first-year students
By Alex Shrauger | 4 days agoBy pigeonholing students into commerce so early, the University violates its own mission of providing a holistic education that produces students capable of succeeding in a variety of fields.
