Comments on: On Civil Rights Leaders That Are Loved and Conveniently Dead http://slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/ Tomorrow is easy, but today is uncharted - John Ashbery Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:03:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: No, this country isn’t racist « my place http://slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-1732 No, this country isn’t racist « my place Sun, 09 Dec 2007 15:24:51 +0000 http://www.slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-1732 [...] enlightened for their ability to retroactively support the Civil Rights movement and to quote safely dead anti-racist icons, even though their present-day physical, intellectual, and political orbits remain mostly [...] [...] enlightened for their ability to retroactively support the Civil Rights movement and to quote safely dead anti-racist icons, even though their present-day physical, intellectual, and political orbits remain mostly [...]

]]> By: Rad Geek People’s Daily 2007-10-27 – White liberals http://slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-828 Rad Geek People’s Daily 2007-10-27 – White liberals Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:12:13 +0000 http://www.slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-828 [...] enlightened for their ability to retroactively support the Civil Rights movement and to quote safely dead anti-racist icons, even though their present-day physical, intellectual, and political orbits remain mostly [...] [...] enlightened for their ability to retroactively support the Civil Rights movement and to quote safely dead anti-racist icons, even though their present-day physical, intellectual, and political orbits remain mostly [...]

]]> By: bastard.logic http://slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-649 bastard.logic Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:57:54 +0000 http://www.slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-649 <strong>Thursday Blogwhoring...</strong> by matttbastard (Inspired by Melissa McEwen) bastard-approved blogreading for a quiet Thursday evening: Plucky Punk: Meanwhile… Angry Black Bitch: By Request - A new book…another cure? Impolitical: Stephen Harper is not a cowboy The Heretik... Thursday Blogwhoring…

by matttbastard
(Inspired by Melissa McEwen)
bastard-approved blogreading for a quiet Thursday evening:
Plucky Punk: Meanwhile…
Angry Black Bitch: By Request - A new book…another cure?
Impolitical: Stephen Harper is not a cowboy
The Heretik…

]]> By: sly civilian http://slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-645 sly civilian Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:34:43 +0000 http://www.slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-645 Word. "you do know he was against the war" is one my new favorite questions these days. Word. “you do know he was against the war” is one my new favorite questions these days.

]]> By: Phil http://slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-634 Phil Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:08:34 +0000 http://www.slanttruth.com/2007/10/03/on-civil-rights-leaders-that-are-loved-and-conveniently-dead/#comment-634 It seems to me that there is a circular logic which connects the widespread (among white America) misconception that the civil rights movement of the 60s succeed in "ending" racism and this artificial dichotomy between MLK and contemporary anti-racism activists. That is, the purported end of racism leaves no valid cause with which these contemporary activists can engage. Lacking valid cause, these activists must simply be self-promoters looking to cash in on the legacy of MLK's "finished" movement. Thus, a platform emerges for establishing a disconnect between these supposedly separate movements and retroactively de-radicalizing the older movement. This platform can then be used in itself to reinforce the logic of racism's end. Pernicious. On the issue of "special rights," another interesting way in which the 60s civil rights movement's radical legacy has been subsequently defused by the right (and specifically in this case the white Christian right) is in the effort to pit MLK's successes against subsequen queer civil rights movements. Not to say that queer issues regularly received widespread support or attention within the race-focused movments of the 60s, but white right-wing anti-queer groups have for some time been attempting specifically to gather Black support by preaching the notion that queer movements are corrupting MLKs legacy by even engaging in a discourse of "civil rights." As I recall, there is some discussion of this issue here: http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Liaisons-Blacks-Struggle-Equality/dp/1565844556 It seems to me that there is a circular logic which connects the widespread (among white America) misconception that the civil rights movement of the 60s succeed in “ending” racism and this artificial dichotomy between MLK and contemporary anti-racism activists. That is, the purported end of racism leaves no valid cause with which these contemporary activists can engage. Lacking valid cause, these activists must simply be self-promoters looking to cash in on the legacy of MLK’s “finished” movement. Thus, a platform emerges for establishing a disconnect between these supposedly separate movements and retroactively de-radicalizing the older movement. This platform can then be used in itself to reinforce the logic of racism’s end. Pernicious.

On the issue of “special rights,” another interesting way in which the 60s civil rights movement’s radical legacy has been subsequently defused by the right (and specifically in this case the white Christian right) is in the effort to pit MLK’s successes against subsequen queer civil rights movements. Not to say that queer issues regularly received widespread support or attention within the race-focused movments of the 60s, but white right-wing anti-queer groups have for some time been attempting specifically to gather Black support by preaching the notion that queer movements are corrupting MLKs legacy by even engaging in a discourse of “civil rights.”

As I recall, there is some discussion of this issue here:

http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Liaisons-Blacks-Struggle-Equality/dp/1 565844556

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