Angela Davis on Anti-blackness, Afro-Pessimism & Black Nationalism
Angela Davis talks about “anti-Blackness” here and raises questions that many may find helpful. Within the British context, creating the binary of “White” and “other” among all racial groups has had a profound impact upon Black women.
Statistics show that African descended people do not accelerate in terms of weath acquisition and other measurements of success once they are grouped together with other groups such as with the “BAME” terminology. Some sociologists argue this is because “anti-Blackness” or “Afro-phobia” is the most virulent form of racism on the global stage.
What do you think about that? Are there more pernicious forms of stereotype and hostility aimed at African descended people than other groups? If so, how can this best be addressed? (One article which addresses this is entitled, “Changing Racial Labels,” by Tom W. Smith.)
As scholars, are there theoretical frameworks such as Afro-Pessimism or Pan Africanism that may help with interrogating these assumptions? Or, is Davis correct in presuming that these strategies are less necessary than some might think?