HuffPo: Dr. Cornel West: The Biggest Crab in the Barrel
We should really be cautious about citing Cornel West as an authority on progressive positions. His analysis is often pretentious filled with jargon and name calling. They are formulaic in that West refers to the subject of his criticism as "Brother" or "Sister," may profess to love them, but then proceeds to belittle them with numerous references to them being a neoliberal. Nowadays, West is notable only when he is cited for his attacks on Democrats and other progressives.
Still, the election of Trump has not caused West to rethink his attacks on Democrats and progressives. Most recently, he has continued to attack other successful and well-known African American progressives. These days Cornel West most notable utility is to cite him against progressives and Democrats.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dr-cornel-west-the-biggest-crab-in-the-barrel_us_5a4a54c8e4b0df0de8b06bf1
There is a saying within the African-American community that once you start doing well, there is a certain type of black person who will start to hate on you and try to tear you down. Like crabs in a barrel, when you try to rise above your circumstances, they will try to pull you back down. After reading yet another attack on a younger, accomplished African-American by Dr. Cornel West that is what makes me disappointed as a black woman trying to rise above the circumstances she was born into. Instead of him being the brilliant and provocative speaker on race that he once was, he’s become just another crab in the barrel.
Although I am an attorney, I will freely admit that I am out of my depth talking about the relative merit or criticism of neoliberalism. I’m not interested in taking sides politically with either Dr. West or Ta-Nehisi Coates because I am more to the right of center within the Democratic Party than either of them. Regardless of political affiliation or ideological leanings, I love to see other black people win. In a world where we are too often seen as only being thugs, gangbangers or drug dealers, I have a sense of pride when I see black people acknowledged as having brilliance by the larger world like both Dr. West and Ta-Nehisi Coates. It begs the question of why someone as accomplished as Dr. West would insist on attacking other black thought leaders, and if his Ph. D actually stands for Player-Hater-Degree.
I think that this situation with Dr. West speaks to a much larger issue that seems to plague some African-Americans who have risen to a high level: too often instead of extending a helping hand to other people of color there is a perceptive fear that there can be only one of us, and they are bound and determined to be that one. This includes the willingness to disparage and cut off the legs of another black person to maintain that position for themselves.
This situation is about more than just a political disagreement, but also about a culture of distrust that sometimes exist between the younger generations and some established older black people who seem intent to kick another up and coming African-American off the ladder of success. I know there are people reading this piece who will lay the blame at the feet of “white supremacy” instead of laying it where it belongs, which regretfully is at the feet of every African-American that chooses to hurt another black person to preserve their place and couch it in some moral superiority like Dr. West has shown himself to do (i.e. calling out another person’s authenticity or commitment to black America.) What we all need to be conscious of is our commitment to black people is shown to the world by your interactions with other black people every day, not just some ideals that you preach about instead of practicing in real life.
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