Who is the current voice of Black Americans?

[ADevilYouKhow]

There isn't one because the multiple generations of black folks today are fragmented from an ideology perspective.

The oldest generation wants unity, the middle generation wants representation, and the youngest generation just wants to hustle and survive.

Kevin Samuels has multi generational support and appeal

 

[ogc163]

Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jelani Cobb
Tressie McMillan Cottom
Jamelle Bouie

 

[Secure Da Bag]

Van Lathan has been making the rounds

 

[mastermind]

Black people aren’t a monolith, but we also need a voice that represents us?

“fukk black leaders, cuz whites ain’t got nothing leading them.” —

 

[Godless Socialist CEO]

Kevin Samuels has multi generational support and appeal

Is this satire?

 

[Hood Critic]

Kevin Samuels has multi generational support and appeal

 

[WIA20XX]

Its kind of said that we don't have any intelligent and renowned voices amongst Gen X and Millennials.

Ta-Nehisi Coates would like a word

 

[folasade]

Kevin Samuels has multi generational support and appeal

Kevin Samuels was a piece of shyt.

 

[ogc163]

Coates is probably the most popular and influential Black intellectual voice of the last two generations.

But generally speaking he hasn't shown the ability to reach the poor and working classes. Alot of that may be where he decides to interview and who engages with.

 

[WIA20XX]

Killer Mike and Ice Cube's plans for "saving" Black America were getting talked about in TLR this week, and it got me thinking about how we haven't had tangible, vocal political representation since the Rainbow Coalition/PUSH and the Black Panthers. Jesse Jackson and Sharpton are the most recent I can think of, though their agendas were tainted by their religious ties. In recent years it seems like all of the real Black discourse with regards to policy has been initiated by entertainers...Killer Mike and fukking Charlemagne have been at the forefront, and I'm sure some would mention Dr. Umar, right wingers might even think Candice Owens.
I should clarify that I'm not including Obama since he wasn't carrying the flag for Black America solely, nor was that his job. Diddy tried to get "Our Black Party" going as a legit entity but it died quickly. There is a clear void in progressive Black discourse to rally around, energize and educate our people.

"Progessive Black Discourse"?

The way The Coli uses these words, I'm never sure what folks are trying to say.

In terms of leaders are we talking

• Democrat Blacks?
• DSA Blacks?
• Elected officials?
• Academics?
• Entertainers with good thoughts and no baggage?

And when we talk about Black America, who do we really mean?

• Them boys in Chicago (Baltimore, NYC, St. Louis, etc) - who have little regard for the social contract
• The 1/6th of Black people in the Belly of the Beast - who do their part, but can't escape the grist mill
• The 2/3rds of Black people that are in the Middle Class and Better - who are only middle class by stats, but not truly middle class.
• The Increasingly female professional Class - who is represented by Kamala, Michelle Obama, and Stacey Abrams?
• The Black folks attending Prosperity Gospel Churches?
• The BLM folks?

A lot of these different groups have different interests, and don't have the same goals.
That's largely because previous generations were able to get Reduced Racism in

• Education
• Employment
• Political Participation

Our interest no longer align, because a lot more of us have gotten what we wanted out of the system.

In terms of What Black Folks want

• Criminal Justice Reform?
• Reparations?
• Voting Rights?
• Abortion?
• "Access" to Education and Jobs?
• Economic Parity with our white "peers"?

I find these conversations to get tense because nobody wants to define the terms they use.
So conflict just happens when folks aren't even on the same page.

 

[WIA20XX]

Coates is probably the most popular and influential Black intellectual voice of the last two generations.

But generally speaking he hasn't shown the ability to reach the poor and working classes. Alot of that may be where he decides to interview and who engages with.

Who's trying to reach the poor and working class?
And what does that actually mean in practice?

If Coates or Jamelle Bouie, or any of them "speaks so well" type dudes decided to get involved in grass roots campaigning?

What does that actually look like?

Is there a place where Coates could literally walk to, put a soapbox down, and actually talk to people in this demographic?

Cause a lot of these folks "organizing" in these streets - don't reach the poor and working class either.

I see halfhearted efforts to hand out flyers/.get signatures at my local grocery store.

One of the problems with organizing is that Black folks are spread out, and we don't gather in one place to be spoken to.
If we're depending on mass media - the effectiveness of radio and tv has decreased as people move away from those platforms.

If we're depending on new media - well....

Critiquing a lot of these new "leaders" needs to take into account the new reality of Black people in this country.

Through choice and through overt design - we are less and less connected to one another - and that separation has political implications.

So the proverbial gathering at the barbershop, pulling coats outside of the corner store, setting up loud speakers and given speeches (less Hebrew Israelite, more 1960's NOI)...

So Coates, Tommy Curry, T Hasan Johnson, Jamelle B, and all of the rest - they only sort of exist in the mainstream media and twitter-sphere.

There's no real way to reach all of us, much less come up with something compelling to get us on the same page.

 

[ogc163]

Who's trying to reach the poor and working class?
And what does that actually mean in practice?

If Coates or Jamelle Bouie, or any of them "speaks so well" type dudes decided to get involved in grass roots campaigning?

What does that actually look like?

Is there a place where Coates could literally walk to, put a soapbox down, and actually talk to people in this demographic?

Cause a lot of these folks "organizing" in these streets - don't reach the poor and working class either.

I see halfhearted efforts to hand out flyers/.get signatures at my local grocery store.

One of the problems with organizing is that Black folks are spread out, and we don't gather in one place to be spoken to.
If we're depending on mass media - the effectiveness of radio and tv has decreased as people move away from those platforms.

If we're depending on new media - well....

Critiquing a lot of these new "leaders" needs to take into account the new reality of Black people in this country.

Through choice and through overt design - we are less and less connected to one another - and that separation has political implications.

So the proverbial gathering at the barbershop, pulling coats outside of the corner store, setting up loud speakers and given speeches (less Hebrew Israelite, more 1960's NOI)...

So Coates, Tommy Curry, T Hasan Johnson, Jamelle B, and all of the rest - they only sort of exist in the mainstream media and twitter-sphere.

There's no real way to reach all of us, much less come up with something compelling to get us on the same page.

You asking several questions and going on streams of consciousness isn't going to lead to a frutiful discussion.

Thus, I would suggest you rewrite what you are trying to express and be more concise next time.

 

[WIA20XX]

You asking several questions and going on streams of consciousness isn't going to lead to a frutiful discussion.

Thus, I would suggest you rewrite what you are trying to express and be more concise next time.

Coates or any other Black leader can't reach poor people because they're too spread out, unlike the 60's where we had media consolidation and physical segregation.

So looking for a current voice is pointless.

Succinct enough?

 

[Adeptus Astartes]

I guess there's the BLM types like Patrisse Cullors and Shaun "Talcum X" King...

 

[ogc163]

Coates or any other Black leader can't reach poor people because they're too spread out, unlike the 60's where we had media consolidation and physical segregation.

So looking for a current voice is pointless.

Succinct enough?

I think poor and working class people can be reached if you engage with them on the platforms they engage with. I'm not persuaded by the cynical take that they can't be reached, especially if a good faith effort hasn't been made.