This week I sent the final draft for Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics to Punctum Press. The book represents an attempt to examine the neoliberalisation of black politics in black churches, predominantly black cities, and in urban education policy. While there have been books written on neoliberalism before, as well as books on black politics, this is to my knowledge the first book written for a broad audience that tackles both. I thought I’d take time to deal with the inspiration for the work, as well as my interest in Punctum as opposed to a traditional academic press or a standard trade press.
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1. Inspiration I think of Knocking the Hustle as a response to two books, and two general tendencies. The books are Race Matters by Cornel West and A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey. Both were written in response to crisis–in West’s case the Rodney King verdict (and subsequent rebellions), in Harvery’s case the Iraq incursion. Both were written for broad audiences. Both were relatively brief. I had significant problems with West’s book. I didn’t (and still don’t) believe the biggest problem black people face is “black nihilism” nor do I believe the best solution to the problems black people face is “the love ethic”. Furthermore while I am critical of black elites, I think West’s habit of putting forth some courageous leader/intellectual/political figure as a standard that we all fall far too short of is more the result of an overly romantic approach to history rather than a careful reading of it. I had fewer problems with Harvey’s book. Indeed I think it’s probably one of the best short books on neoliberalism on the market. However it’s as if race and racism doesn’t exist. I find this astounding because I believe the record is pretty clear that in the United States and other nations the neoliberal turn doesn’t occur without racism. The two intellectual tendencies Race Matters and A Brief History of Neoliberalism represent–an approach to politics that doesn’t take either politics or political economy seriously, and an approach to neoliberalism that doesn’t really take racism seriously–are rife at a moment when we clearly need a different approach.
This is something ive been thinking about for a while now and have finally come across some writing/scholarship that addresses it
black peoples politics suddenly switched from demanding an end to structural inequality, collectivism and an understanding of the wider forces that constrict our lives to prosperity preaching, the secret, paternalistic moralism, individual salvation and 'butdoyou votethoughism' (c) me
gonna have to read this
_______________________________________ When discourse of Blackness is not connected to efforts to promote collective black self determinism it becomes simply another recourse appropriated by the colonizer
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