It is interesting when every once in a while someone says something that pierces the spectacle of the contemporary media. In real time, every person of color interviewed about the riots in England by the BBC was asked a first question: why are they rioting? After an explanation about racism and classism and disenfranchisement that person of color was asked a follow up question: so you condone the rioting? The person of color was left confused as they had said nothing that would indicate an opinion on the riot one way or another.
White commenters were then given the stage: the rioters are nothing but criminals and hooligans! This is blatant criminality!!
Leaving the commentors of color confused, were they then in a debate about whether breaking store windows was criminal? Or were they to debate why this was happening?
So finally it all came to a head when race scholar Darcus Howe was asked to explain the riots:
He is an educated man, and he has thought about racism. His interviewer is a privileged ignorant woman who tries to mask her discomfort by attacking Mr. Howe.
And he is a nephew of CLR James!
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