The Central Role of Black Men in the Presidential Campaign
As the presidential campaign approaches its culmination, Black men have once again become a focal point of national discourse. Their political inclinations are under intense examination, with political consultants, pollsters, and media analysts debating whether their shifting allegiance away from the Democratic Party could jeopardize Kamala Harris’s chances of securing the presidency. This situation underscores a significant and often overlooked power dynamic. However, this scrutiny coincides with a troubling media narrative that conveys a contrasting view—one that suggests Black individuals are exceedingly fragile and must be approached with utmost caution.
At the center of this debate is Ta-Nehisi Coates, who recently appeared on the “CBS Mornings” program to discuss his thought-provoking new book, “The Message.” During the segment, co-host Tony Dokoupil posed a series of challenging questions that sparked considerable debate. Following the interview, some of Dokoupil’s colleagues expressed concern that he had been overly aggressive in his questioning, leading to his being called into a meeting with the network’s standards team and a specialized group known as the Race and Culture Unit. This unit is responsible for overseeing “context, tone, and intention” in discussions pertaining to race. Subsequently, executives announced that the interview fell short of the network’s editorial standards.
This incident has ignited a broader conversation about journalistic integrity and the potential for personal bias. However, the outrage expressed on Coates’s behalf inadvertently undermines his agency, painting him in a condescending light. The notion that Coates should be shielded from tough questions perpetuates a harmful stereotype regarding Black individuals—particularly Black men. This narrative has gained traction in recent years, especially during the height of discussions around race in 2020 and 2021, where performative antiracism often morphed into a distorted reality.
In their new book, scholars Craig Frisby and Robert Maranto articulate this phenomenon, describing it as part of a broader perspective that posits “whites as inherently oppressive, and African Americans (and by extension all ‘people of color,’ or POCs) as mere victims around whom whites must tread lightly to avoid inflicting emotional distress.”
I have observed manifestations of this excessive caution, as noted in my previous writings, in the recent actions taken by the University of Pennsylvania against law professor Amy Wax for her controversial remarks on race. Such actions imply that the opinions of a single white professor could devastate the self-esteem and resilience of accomplished Black students.
Additionally, I have noted this tendency in the broadcasting world. There is a radio announcer, whom I suspect is Black, who is permitted to mispronounce words in a way that his white counterparts would not be allowed to do. This disparity raises questions about the underlying assumptions regarding competence and communication standards based on race.
