An Ontology of Betrayal
We are honored to host this timely conversation on "An Ontology of Betrayal," examining the philosophical underpinnings of racial oppression. Our distinguished speakers will explore Afro-Pessimism, a critical framework analyzing how anti-Blackness serves as the foundation for contemporary society. (Click the video at the end of this blog.)
Afro-Pessimism contends that anti-Blackness is not accidental or ephemeral, but an intentional construct required for White dominance. Society depends on the perpetual marginalization and brutality against Black life. Our speakers will discuss how even political movements claiming progress often reinscribe anti-Blackness by betraying Black liberation aims.
We are privileged to have Frank B. Wilderson III share insights into this perspective. As a pioneering scholar of Afro-Pessimism, Wilderson's work including "Afropessimism" and "Red, White & Black" helped establish this mode of critique. He exposes how Black suffering enables White enjoyment, and society operates through violence against the Black position.
We will also hear from Sylvia Wynter, whose expansive oeuvre explores race, colonialism, and humanness itself. Wynter's groundbreaking theories reveal how concepts of the human uphold White Western norms as the standard of being. Her work complements Afro-Pessimism in unmasking the anti-Black logics embedded in society's very conception of humanity.
Our esteemed speakers will discuss how, despite proclaimed progress, Black communities remain subject to premature death, confinement, and deprivation of resources. They will unpack the philosophical betrayals allowing these injustices to persist. Their insights can guide us in dismantling anti-Black ideologies and structures. We look forward to a thought-provoking dialogue on constructing a liberated future beyond the ontology of anti-Blackness.
Let us know your thoughts on the enclosed video!
Amanda Golden-Peace, The Misogynoir to Mishpat (M2M) Research Network © 2024
Resources on Afro-Pessimism
Frank B. Wilderson III:
- "Afropessimism" (2020) - Wilderson's seminal book laying out the tenets of Afropessimism. Argues that slavery and anti-Blackness are essential to society.
- "Red, White & Black: Cinema and the Structure of U.S. Antagonisms" (2010) - Examines how race shapes narrative cinema and American culture.
Sylvia Wynter:
- "Unsettling the Coloniality of Being/Power/Truth/Freedom: Towards the Human, After Man, Its Overrepresentation - An Argument" (2003) - Wynter's influential essay exploring how coloniality shapes modern concepts of humanness.
- "No Humans Involved: An Open Letter to My Colleagues" (1994) - Wynter's response to the Rodney King verdict, analyzing links between racism and humanity.
Jared Sexton:
- "The Vel of Slavery: Tracking the Figure of the Unsovereign" (2014) - Discusses slavery's centrality to capitalist modernity and critiques limited notions of freedom.
Frank Wilderson and Jared Sexton:
- "Afro-Pessimism: The Unclear Word" (2016) - Wilderson and Sexton discuss the contested meaning of Afropessimism and respond to critiques.
Hortense Spillers:
- "Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: An American Grammar Book" (1987) - Influential essay analyzing how slavery warped kinship and humanity for African Americans.
Saidiya Hartman:
- "The Belly of the World: A Note on Black Women's Labors" (2016) - Discusses the centrality of Black women's reproductive labor to capitalism and slavery's legacy.