The White supremacists who attacked the Capitol on 1/6 claimed they were defending America from the coming destruction of an antiracist politics. This fearmongering piece argues antiracist demands at schools “would destroy the institutions themselves.” 1/9 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/when-antiracist-manifestos-become-antiracist-wrecking-balls/617841/

White supremacist violence is tacitly being fomented by pieces like this one. McWhorter urged people to “resist destructive demands” and press “for the very survival of the institution,” and praised a professor who said the demands would lead to a “’civil war on campus.’” 2/9

And, as usual when writing on antiracism, McWhorter is arguing against himself. He misrepresented the position of campus activists and argued against his own misrepresentations. 3/9

He misrepresented these activists as believing their institutions are entirely racist, have never made antiracist changes, and need “to be blown up.” Then he points to the reforms these schools have made. 4/9

In fact, these activists would almost certainly acknowledge the existence of past reforms. But the issue is these institutions still have widespread and pervasive inequities and injustices which of course McWhorter fails to mention. 5/9

And the man who said racism is over after Obama’s election in 2008 and now says racism still exists, is the same man who refuses to point out its existence. Instead, this Black man spends his time going after all the people challenging anti-Black racism. 6/9

What are students and faculty demanding? More faculty of color on lily white campuses. Antiracist training for people who’ve had none. Rewarding unpaid diversity work. Transforming racist curriculums. Hold racially abusive people accountable. Impacting racism off campus. Etc. 7/9

But in the mind of McWhorter—like Trump and the White supremacists McWhorter claims to oppose—antiracist changes, ushering in racial equity and justice, will destroy our institutions, will destroy America. 8/9

No matter all their continued fearmongering and violence, they will not stop us. We will not stop advocating for the rooting out of racism and White supremacy, knowing that as we do, we are not only making our lives better, we are making our institutions better. 9/9