The Insinuation that Black Conservative Thought is not their own
To the people who would insinuate that I am being used by white conservatives or that I express 'right-leaning viewpoints for white acceptance, I have a question: Would you say this to a black liberal?
I find it very interesting when someone black expresses even a moderately right-leaning viewpoint, there are people who would come out of their face to say that their opinion isn't really theirs. Why is that the case?
For example, on every major news network, you can find black liberals expressing liberal viewpoints and no one insinuates their usage as being inauthentic. Even on the right, I've never heard anyone claim that black liberals don't really believe what they're saying.
When someone tells me that white conservatives are only cheering for me because I validate them, I have to ask, would you say that to black liberals when white liberals cheer them on? The answer is no, you wouldn't.
The reason is that we've all accepted viewing black people as a singularly motivated group, hence, black political & social thought MUST be liberal thought.
Understand, when someone is white & conservative, they are seen as making that political decision for themselves. However, black conservatives are seen as being this way because of someone else and never for their personal interests.
Ultimately, this comes back to personal agency and how we have accepted no longer look at black people as individuals but as a bloc of some sort. A voting bloc. A demographic. We are not allowed to practice individualism like our white counterparts without being race traitors.
We are the only demographic that is expected to have 'leaders' who dictate the conversation for all of us throughout the mainstream media. Disagreeing with leadership is viewed as disagreeing with the black agenda, then becoming discarded for the crime of individualism.
Telling me that I am being used insinuates that my thoughts aren't my own. It insinuates that I am weak-minded and haven't thought things through. It also insinuates that black people aren't capable of independent thought or genuine curiosity.
Just because white conservatives agree with me doesn't mean I am in dying need of their adulation or acceptance. I express myself as I see fit because I value my agency, meanwhile, you don't respect nor believe in the prospect of “black agency”.
On my own accord, I spent about 9 months writing and editing my book, and to think someone would diminish my hard work by insinuating my thoughts & words aren't really mine or that they must be due to someone else's influence & for their acceptance is insulting YET I expect it.
When you claim you want to uplift 'black voices', be honest, you don't mean mine. You very much so care about the words coming from said black voice and you also subscribe to there even being an agreed upon 'black voice'.
So, I ask you, if white conservatives are allegedly using me, how are you not using liberal black people for your liberal agenda then?