by Adam B. Coleman (Excerpt taken, with permission, from The Journal of Free Black Thought).
The majority of our black intellectual elite has embraced the white supremacy conspiracy theory without challenge and without nuance. They’re sure there is no other explanation and they take any challenge to their conspiracy theories as evidence that you are working on behalf of the conspiracy. If you’re attempting to disprove the 9/11 conspiracy, you’re assumed to be an agent of the state. If you attempt to disprove the white supremacy conspiracy, you’re assumed to be an agent of ‘whiteness.’
The white supremacy conspiracy theory claims that everything in American society was created for the benefit of white people, and as such, any disparity between white people and minorities is due to that racist system. This conspiracy is a catch-all for any social issue, any historical event, and any negative outcome for black Americans.
The black intellectual elite are now officially the conspiracy theorists of the black community. They have the intellect to understand the complexities of social conditioning and human behavior, but they lack the willingness to accept that they might be wrong. When you spend your entire academic career believing in one particular concept, you will fight tooth and nail to ward off common-sense arguments against it.
The black intellectual elite of the past used to be secluded in lecture halls across the country, but now the American public are their new students to indoctrinate. We are now unwilling auditors of their conspiracy theorizing, and we are aware of the elephant in the room that prevents us from pushing back—their race. If you are white and point out their flawed logic, you will be cast as a racist for challenging a black intellectual. If you are black and point out missteps in their thought process, you are accused of simping for the white man. For these black intellectuals, their race is used as a defense mechanism to protect their ego, fame, and profits.
These black elites don’t like to explain how they were able to make it to such great heights in this allegedly unfair white supremacist society. They never disclose their net worth while preaching about how they are victims. I’ve become very aware of the irony of these buttoned-up, wealthy black intellectuals telling lower class black people that because of white supremacy, they can’t do what they, the intellectuals themselves, did. Many of them wag their finger at white people as a whole as they are literally going to bed with a white person every night. They are walking contradictions because their conspiracy has no teeth—certainly white supremacy isn’t biting them.
They are able to get away with espousing their conspiracy theory because there is a kernel of truth in it. No one could ever say that racism never existed or that the American government during part of our history didn’t have racist laws. But the trick of any conspiracy is that it is based on a truth, but one that is exaggerated to the point where it becomes untruth. Conspiracy theories overlook all the nuances of a particular situation in favor of apparent patterns. When such patterns rule, facts and nuance die.
Read the full essay, Black Intellectuals Are Black America’s Conspiracy Theorists in The Journal of Free Black Thought.
In the Hold my Drink — navigating culture with a chaser of civility, and Counterweight podcast, Episode 60, we speak with Adam B. Coleman, founder of Wrong Speak Publishing and author of Black Victim to Black Victor. Adam shares with us his life story and struggles — from an absent father to homelessness — his political transition, thoughts on racialized politics, communist concerns and his victor mindset. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, an iced tea, Christmas coffee & a rum and Diet Coke.
Hold my Drink welcomes all people with all kinds of beverages to join us as we explore the truths of a chaotic and beautiful world, together.
Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the conversation unfold on YouTube, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What Adam is Reading
The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
What Jen is Reading
Black Intellectuals Are Black America’s Conspiracy Theorists, The Journal of Free Black Thought, Adam B. Coleman
Black Victim to Black Victor, Adam B. Coleman
Adam B. Coleman is the founder of Wrong Speak Publishing. He was born in Detroit and raised in a variety of states throughout America. He writes openly about his personal struggles with fatherlessness, homelessness and masculinity. He advocates for the right of all to speak freely and is attempting to change the narrative and the way we discuss narratives by being honest, humble, and resolute. His book, Black Victim To Black Victor: Identifying the ideologies, behavioral patterns and cultural norms that encourage a victimhood complex, appeared earlier this year.
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Ep. 60: Black Victim to Black Victor | Adam B. Coleman