Finding a Middle Ground

Talking about being against racism isn’t enough. In the podcast Finkelstein is hinting that we’re missing the big picture. We’re all focused on the flashy, surface-level stuff—hashtags, social media call-outs, and who’s got the most woke badge. But what about the roots of racism tangled up in our economy and the whole system? Revolutionary social work tells us to look there, to really get our hands dirty by tackling the big, ugly economic inequalities that keep racism alive and kicking.

If we want to truly change the world, we can’t just slap a “Down with Racism” sticker on it and call it a day. We have to dig deeper and ask the tough questions. For example, why are certain communities always getting the short end of the stick? And how come every time we try to talk about making things fairer, it gets turned into a money-making scheme by someone?

I agree with Finkelstein’s issue with the antiracism movement getting too cozy with the market, it makes us ask ourselves a question, “Can we really trust that this push for change is genuine, or is it just another way for people to cash in on the struggle?”  It’s extremely important that we don’t muddy and distort the real message of antiracism, we can not allow it to get lost in a sea of corporate sponsorships and empty gestures.

Finkelstein challenged Kendi’s ideas and asked us all of us to rethink how we approach being anti-racist. It’s not about who’s got the loudest voice or the most followers. It’s about listening to the people who are living this reality every day and working with them to figure out how to make things better. We need to get creative, work together, and come up with solutions that actually make a difference, not just look good on social media.

As I continued to listen to the podcast, I found myself internally agreeing with some of Norm Finkelstein’s points. He talks about how off it feels to build a career on the hype of something as deeply important as antiracism. Yes, credentials matter to an extent—having the backing of well-known universities and publishers adds a layer of credibility. BUT what I disagree with is that he insinuates that because Kendi doesn’t have that kind of academic backing he should not be taken too seriously or even have been given the platform he now has. I do not believe that the school one goes to or who published your book shouldn’t be the end-all of whether what you’re fighting for is valid or not. It’s like saying only the elite get to talk about issues that affect us all.

In the podcast there was a change of scene, I didn’t catch his first name, but his last name was Berry, and his thoughts stuck with me. He’s not on board with viewing the world through this strict anti-racist vs. racist lens, arguing it plays into the oppressor’s hands. We end up seeing ourselves and others through the eyes of those who’ve historically kept us down. Berry suggests flipping the script—instead of focusing solely on being anti-racist, we should aim to be lovers of people. This way, we naturally drift away from racism because we see people as people, humanizing them, which chips away at the prejudices we might not even realize we’re holding onto.

This idea hits home for me. Carrying around the weight of racism, constantly being on the defensive or the offensive, it’s exhausting and counterproductive. If we were to get everyone to see others as individuals, the world would be better for everyone, but this isnt the reality. Because it’s not, there is a need to take another approach to racism along with the ideology of Mr. berry. With the anti-racist movement, we are shining a light on these issues, especially through movements like antiracism, we’re not just calling out the bad; we’re also highlighting the underlying issues we need to fix. Just because someone isn’t overtly racist,  calling people names or blatantly excluding others based on race—that doesn’t mean they’re free of racial biases. Those subtle, maybe even unintentional, prejudices can still be present without them knowing. The subtly of it makes it tricky, we should self-reflect and ask ourselves, “Are we making people of color wonder if they’re truly welcome or safe in certain spaces that I occupy?” Is it not racist to refuse to change the environment that we are in that is excluding people of color intentionally or not if we are aware of it? 

This podcast has made me think about how we approach the fight against racism. It’s not just about the big gestures or the loud declarations. It’s in the everyday interactions, how we see and treat each other. And it’s about acknowledging that, even though someone like Kendi might not have the traditional backing or credentials we expect, that doesn’t invalidate the importance of the issues he is bringing to the table.

I did not agree with the majority of Norm Finkelstein’s points of views, but I did find common ground and understood his frustrations. I think Norm Finkelstein and Ibram X Kendi plight is the same, they just go about it in different ways with different terms. The solutions might be about finding a middle ground, where we can be critical of the ways we fight against racism while still pushing for genuine change. It’s about being lovers of people, recognizing our own biases, and working together to create a world where everyone feels safe, valued, and heard. After all, if we’re too caught up in the hype or the credentials, we might just miss the heart of what we’re fighting for.