who is black?
who is down?
who is the hardest
who is the most real?

seems like folks cant get away from the issue of authenticity and discuss what authors or artists are producing and from what position these authors/artists speak. centralizing a debate around authenticity creates binary oppositions, such as real/sell-out, that make it easy to invalidate any opinion that is contrary or vexing. you can hear the same arguments/anxiety in some of the debate on commons new album, or any hip hop artist that tries something new. granted the historical factors that have created such an anxiety in oppressed communities are valid i believe they no longer can address the difficult questions facing these communities.

i think the following questions can better flesh out the anxiety of authenticity expressed in relation to authors and artists:

"what is the role of the black intellectual working within academia or the system?"

"what intellectual resources and traditions can/should black intellectuals utilize?"
-are marxists, socialist, anarchist, feminist, post colonial and queer theorists vital to the predicament of black people?

"is there a monolithic 'Black' community that intellectuals are responsible to?"
-if so how does this community accomodate differences of class, gender, religion, and sexual orientation?
-who defines what is aunthentic and inauthentic in this community?

i will return with my comments but overall i think focusing ones politics on questions of authenticity is short sighted and ultimately defeating.

native son