Last Friday, we had a jam-packed edition of the weekly livestream. I was just back from the big conference honoring the life and work of Thomas Sowell out in Palo Alto. As a co-organizer, I spent the better part of a year inviting speakers, thinking up panels, and programming two days of talks and events. As a speaker, I spent just as much time writing up two addresses—a tribute and more formal keynote lecture—that attempted to do justice to monumental accomplishments of the great Thomas Sowell.
I don’t think I’m being immodest when I call it a smashing success. We had an all-star line-up in attendance, including former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who flew in specifically for the conference.
In this edition of TGS Live, I talk about the events of the conference, my contribution, and one of the ideas informing my new book project. The conference honored the past accomplishments of Thomas Sowell, but it also pointed to the future. I heard the effects of Sowell’s writing and thinking coursing through vital new work, I met the two young winners of an essay contest about Sowell’s ideas, and I sat in on a conversation between Rice and Thomas that would stun their progressive critics.
And speaking of the future, the actor-writer Clifton Duncan, who is working on a one-man show about Sowell’s life and work, came to the conference as well. He dropped into the stream to talk about what he saw and to let us know how his work in progress is shaping up.
From there, we move on to politics. Liberals remain shocked at the small but ardent following that Trump has gained among African Americans. But they shouldn’t be. Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to American cities may anger his detractors, but crime disproportionately affects black Americans, and some of them are saying they like what they’re seeing from Trump’s actions. Given the broad perception that illegal immigration is bad for black workers, it makes perfect sense that some of them are throwing their support behind Trump’s anti-immigration agenda.
We look over some pro-Trump clips from black content creators, and I note that market demand will incentivize the creation of supply. As long as Black MAGA remains a source of fascination for supporters, detractors, and the agnostic, creators will supply the market in search of clicks. It’s hard to say whether those creators are truly as dedicated to the cause as they seem, but they’re going to be here as long as people keep watching.
This Friday, I’m going to have something special for you: John McWhorter, live on-stream. I’ll have more info later in the week, but mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss it.
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