Rev Left Radio

Still Laundering Black Rage: DEI as Counterinsurgency


Listen Later

In this incisive conversation, Breht welcomes poet, scholar, and organizer, filmmaker, and host of the Black Myths Podcast Too Black back to the podcast to critically examine the recent attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Anchored by the penetrating analysis in Too Black and Rasul Mowatt's article, "Bootleg Rehab: Still Laundering Black Rage," this episode dissects DEI as a capitalist pacification strategy, historically rooted in reaction to radical Black movements and inherently limited in delivering meaningful change.

Too Black articulates how DEI serves capitalist interests by redirecting genuine Black rage into symbolic, surface-level victories that do little to alter the underlying structures of oppression. Together, they explore DEI's historical development, its market-friendly evolution under Nixon, and its role in creating internal class contradictions within oppressed communities.

Through the powerful analogy of a "bootleg rehab," Too Black vividly illustrates how superficial reforms pacify demands for revolutionary change without addressing systemic injustices like police violence, economic deprivation, and racialized exploitation. They also unpack the dialectical relationship between DEI initiatives and reactionary anti-DEI backlash, showing how both reinforce capitalist stability and deepen racial and class divides.

Finally, Too Black outlines practical approaches for organizers to bypass capitalist traps, emphasizing the need for movements grounded in materialist analysis and authentic community needs. This essential discussion equips listeners with critical insights to recognize, resist, and transcend the limitations of DEI, advancing a revolutionary politics that refuses to settle for symbolic concessions in the face of real suffering. Check out Black Myths Podcast HERE

----------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio

Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio

Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio: https://revleftradio.com/

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Rev Left RadioBy Revolutionary Left Radio

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

3,295 ratings


More shows like Rev Left Radio

View all
Upstream by Upstream

Upstream

1,851 Listeners

Jacobin Radio by Jacobin

Jacobin Radio

1,460 Listeners

The Dig by Daniel Denvir

The Dig

1,585 Listeners

Chapo Trap House by Chapo Trap House

Chapo Trap House

8,842 Listeners

Citations Needed by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson

Citations Needed

3,907 Listeners

Why Theory by Why Theory

Why Theory

586 Listeners

This Wreckage by Sean KB and AP Andy

This Wreckage

938 Listeners

Red Menace by Red Menace

Red Menace

1,127 Listeners

The Red Nation Podcast by The Red Nation

The Red Nation Podcast

1,008 Listeners

Blowback by Blowback

Blowback

3,123 Listeners

Acid Horizon by Acid Horizon

Acid Horizon

197 Listeners

Guerrilla History by Guerrilla History

Guerrilla History

605 Listeners

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker by The Socialist Program

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

558 Listeners

What's Left of Philosophy by Lillian Cicerchia, Owen Glyn-Williams, Gil Morejón, and William Paris

What's Left of Philosophy

279 Listeners

The Deprogram by JT, Hakim, and Yugopnik

The Deprogram

1,054 Listeners