r/ThoughtWarriors

Blind loyalty to a party has never been a defining feature of Black political activism, award-winning journalist and best-selling author Michael Harriot writes.

I apologize if this post doesn’t make sense for this sub, I’m new here! Please feel free to remove it if so.

I actually discovered Van Latham through watching him tear people up on CNN NewsNight. I’ve really become a fan of him and agree with a lot of his takes. He’s also damn hilarious to watch especially when he points out republican nonsense.

Going back to my point though, I’ve watched a lot of CNN NewsNight. A big part of this is definitely because of Abby Phillip. Honestly she’s inspired me in a lot of ways. She’s clearly very intelligent, a strong communicator, really hard worker (wrote a book and hosts episodes 6 days a week??) and overall does a fantastic job hosting her show in my opinion. Managing a discussion each night between so many different personalities sounds frankly exhausting to me but she takes it on. And just seeing her on her show and following her on social media and watching her different interviews, she seems really gentle, thoughtful and just like a really wonderful person. Not that I know her in anyway but, from what I have seen of her, I think we can all learn a lot from her and people like her make the world a better place.

Of course, I’ve seen so much criticism levied against her as the host of her show. People suggesting she just lets republicans lie all the time and lets people walk over her and the more liberal/progressive individuals on her show. But idk, I’ve watched many episodes of the show and she seems to hold people accountable and correct people in real time. And I think it’s good she doesn’t respond to fire with fire honestly. Especially when people’s emotions are high. That would probably derail the show even more. And I think the show does a good job at offering a diverse range of perspectives and challenging people. Even if you’re already a more liberal/progressive person. Like as a White man, I wasn’t really aware of the sort of disconnect Black people feel exists with them and democratic socialists like Bernie Sanders, Mamdani, etc until I saw Black people like Tezlyn Figaro talk about it. I also learned from Van Lathan how to better counter arguments about ICE - we don’t want to live in a “papers please” society.

What do you all think about Abby Phillip? Do you like her? Do you enjoy her show?

I sure hope this question is viewed as a serious one, and not antagonistic or trolling, because it's something that weights pretty heavily on my mind.

Recently a video has gone viral of a black man telling white men to shut the fuck up because voting rights laws only exist because white people needed to have it in writing to not be awful. The video is spot on, that's exactly why those laws exist. The United States has a shameful history of slave ownership (which was enabled by the Dutch, the Portuguese and other European powers).

Following the abolition of slavery white americans decided that they needed segregation to keep the former slaves in check, and engaged in decades and generations of active economic and social repression of black americans. Again, absolutely shameful and disgraceful behavior which has led to a vast wealth disparity based on skin color. That wealth disparity leads to all sorts of gatekeeping as everything in the USA is about money. Education, childcare, healthcare, all the care...if you ain't got money you ain't got care.

Pretending that these disparities do not exist is ridiculous and maddening that so many actually act like it's not a real thing.

I'm not telling you anything you guys who listen to Higher Learning don't already know.

Now, I am technically a White American. I have white skin, and an American passport. I possess ONE of the two major cheat codes to making it in America. White Skin. The other cheat code is being born with the aforementioned Money. My skin color has opened doors for me that wont open for black people, even tho my parents didn't have money when we were kids. I know this to be 1000% true.

However, and this is where the gist of my question begins...I was born in Poland. To Polish parents, with an unbroken heritage of European caucasity. I was raised in Brooklyn, in a melting pot of cultures and races, i went to high school In the Bronx, and I lived in NYC for the first 30 years of my life. I always identified as a New Yorker, first and foremost, and then as a Polish American. But more and more I've also been forced to identify as a White Person.

I really really don't want to be lumped into the same group of people who had great great grandparents that had parents who owned slaves. I understand why I am lumped into that group, the same way I understand why there are only two political parties in this country. Red or Blue, White or Black. Make the poors fight amongst each other so that they don't turn their eyes upon us. Give them 2 choices, and tell them that they are free. Give them illusion of choice, but make sure they hate each other.

When I hit 30 i got this huge urge, for the first time ever, to explore the world outside of tis country. I visited 70 other countries so far, and i have seen poverty the likes of which i couldnt even imagine. I have also seen those very same insanely (by American standards) poor people with 6 teeth smile the largest smiles I have ever seen. I have seen true freedom in countries where you don't have to be afraid of cops, or guns. I have visited ancient ruins from civilizations long gone, and had the privilege at gazing at some of the most beautiful natural wonders. I came to realize that the USA...fucking sucks. We have so much natural beauty but we're focused on the wrong things. More and more when people ask me where I'm from i say Brooklyn, by way of Polish heritage.

So, I suppose I don't even have a real question here. I just feel, that when that guy in the video was saying he doesn't want to see white men cosplay as allies ... please understand that we arent all descendants of slave owners, and that some of us are extremely sympathetic to the injustices that have been done in this country, and in our name around the world.

Anyway, i find myself digressing and losing my point here. The effects of coffee. Sorry about that.

And finally, pew pew. Going to go listen to the new Midnight Boys pod. Be well.

He’s on that list of white people going viral on social media plea coppin for MTG. I still remember when he was on the pod plea coppin for Charlie Kirk

Van just soft women are saying men aren’t men anymore and that’s exactly why

Felt timely since Van and Rachel discussed MIA's polarization recently.

Unless I missed it during the Stefon Diggs convo

The lawsuit from his fwb turned "personal chef" revealed that Stefon had a sexual relationship with the woman who accused him of assualt

PLUS another woman on his staff that she was informed of by one of Stefon's Baby mommas who he was paying a salary and rent to

The chef mentioned she was upset about not attending Art Basel because she had plans with Cardi B!

Meaning not only was the chef aware of the other staffer but she too was hanging out with the woman she was cheating on

I thought that was cold blooded on top of Stefon very clearly being a hoe.