With respect, I'm interested in understanding Kennedy's position from his own perspective, not a psychosocial interpretation of it. None of the people in this conversation showed the slightest bit of condescension towards Kennedy, even though they disagreed firmly on many points. Your posts, in contrast, are dripping with condescension. Not useful in my opinion.
Here's an excerpt from the book that the interviewer discussed with Professor Kennedy:
"...if Thomas is not a sellout., then the term has no utility. He is the paradigmatic figure who many African Americans rightly despise - the black who, from a position of privilege obtained by the sponsorship of powerful whites, consistently subverts struggles for African American collective elevation, all the while deploying his blackness as a shield against criticism."
Professor Kennedy's views on Shelby v. Holder can be found in several publications, including London Review of Books, The Nation, and Harper's Magazine:
Read them for yourself and draw your own conclusions about Professor Kennedy's assertion that Shelby vs. Holder is one of the Supreme Court's worst decisions.
Thanks, those links are useful, and not just for me. I've read the book but it's been a while and I probably need to take another look. Haven't read the articles yet but will try to find time.
Kennedy's Race, Crime and the Law is an absolute classic, I see my own book with Dan O'Flaherty as building on that foundation. Cited it maybe a dozen times there. I can see why Glenn has such respect for him and places such value on the friendship.
With respect, I'm interested in understanding Kennedy's position from his own perspective, not a psychosocial interpretation of it. None of the people in this conversation showed the slightest bit of condescension towards Kennedy, even though they disagreed firmly on many points. Your posts, in contrast, are dripping with condescension. Not useful in my opinion.
Here's a link to an interview Professor Kennedy did with GBH News a couple of years ago to discuss his book, "Say It Loud!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5TQAUaI2fw
Here's an excerpt from the book that the interviewer discussed with Professor Kennedy:
"...if Thomas is not a sellout., then the term has no utility. He is the paradigmatic figure who many African Americans rightly despise - the black who, from a position of privilege obtained by the sponsorship of powerful whites, consistently subverts struggles for African American collective elevation, all the while deploying his blackness as a shield against criticism."
Professor Kennedy's views on Shelby v. Holder can be found in several publications, including London Review of Books, The Nation, and Harper's Magazine:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n02/randall-kennedy/cynical-realism
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n15/randall-kennedy/racist-litter
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/justice-deferred-racial-equality-supreme-court/
https://harpers.org/archive/2015/08/old-poison-new-battles/
Read them for yourself and draw your own conclusions about Professor Kennedy's assertion that Shelby vs. Holder is one of the Supreme Court's worst decisions.
Thanks, those links are useful, and not just for me. I've read the book but it's been a while and I probably need to take another look. Haven't read the articles yet but will try to find time.
Kennedy's Race, Crime and the Law is an absolute classic, I see my own book with Dan O'Flaherty as building on that foundation. Cited it maybe a dozen times there. I can see why Glenn has such respect for him and places such value on the friendship.
Fair enough. We agree to disagree.