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The Black Liberation Paradox

Modern emancipation needs to be more than a function of liberating white minds. Black people also need to find joy on our own terms. What’s the point of saying “Black Lives Matter” if that life is defined solely by struggle?

“Yes, I want enlightenment for white people. I just don’t want my own growth to depend on it,” Thurston writes.
“Yes, I want enlightenment for white people. I just don’t want my own growth to depend on it,” Thurston writes. Photo courtesy of PBS
Baratunde Thurston
February 19, 2023

In May 2022, a racist traveled several hours to kill 10 people at the Tops Friendly Market in a Black neighborhood in Buffalo. Last week, he was sentenced to life in prison. What I remember most about the event is that I could barely process it at the time. I was exhausted by this temporarily-latest instance of America’s oldest story: crush Black resources, Black community, Black bodies, and Black life.