Keep in mind that Ibram X. Kendi’s tweet about white colonizers “adopting” black children so they could civilize the little savages in the superior ways of white people was inspired by a tweet saying “it is going to be interesting to watch the Democrats try to smear Amy Coney Barrett as a racist.” And knowing that Kendi, author of “How to Be an Antiracist,” believes there’s no such thing as not racist when it comes to whites, only the attempt to cover for one’s racism, it’s pretty clear what he was saying.
And whether this is Barrett or not is not the point. It is a belief too many White people have: if they have or adopt a child of color, then they can't be racist.
— Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) September 26, 2020
Jonathan Chait of all people has decided to defend Kendi’s tweet by saying it’s being misconstrued:
This tweet is being misconstrued.
1. Original claim by Jenny Beth Martin: ACB's interracial adopting proves she isn't racist
2. Kendi replies: No, sometimes racists adopt black children
3. Kendi's critics: He's saying ACB is racist because she adopted black children! https://t.co/9V4LvcC1TV
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) September 26, 2020
Um, as to point No. 1: The original poster didn’t say Barrett adopting Haitian children “proves she isn’t racist”; she said it will be interesting watching Democrats try to smear her as a racist, which some already are. And as for point No. 3: Anyone familiar with Kendi’s work knows he is saying Barrett is racist. Everyone’s racist, even those who buy his book on how to be anti-racist. No one’s misconstruing anything.
This is a basic logic error by Kendi's critics. He is simply denying the syllogism that if you adopt a black child) then B you cannot be racist. That is not the same as calling her racist.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) September 26, 2020
Here’s an exercise for Chait: Tweet your buddy Kendi and ask him outright, is Amy Coney Barrett a racist? Remember, there’s no such thing as “not racist” in Kendi’s world.
Well, you tried to defend this, but you failed. There is no defense.
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) September 26, 2020
No he's implying that adopting black children is a deliberate act taken by racists, which should make the act of doing it not only not laudable, but inherently suspect.
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) September 26, 2020
It's not misconstrued. He means exactly what he says…
— Nestus Venter (@nestus) September 26, 2020
He’s coming out against interracial adoptions, which is a pretty racist thing to do.
— SophisticatedSophist (@Unsophistry) September 26, 2020
Let him take his own L, dude
— Sir Micks-a-Lot-of-Justices (@sir_micks_alot) September 26, 2020
It’s such a tone deaf tweet.
Let’s harken back to the days of colonization so the topic of racism can be brought up when discussing a 21st century female nominee to the Supreme Court.
No one will read anything into it.
— Tom in Texas (@Tommers71) September 26, 2020
He just randomly decided to tweet the same trial balloon dem operatives did in the last 20 hours when the news settled on ACB as the likely nominee.
Just a chance occurrence!!
— Kyle (@703Kyle) September 26, 2020
Prominent person has adopted black children.
(awkward silence)
Kendi: apropos of nothing, *some* racists (might or might not be her, but might be) adopt black children.
— William (@wglane3) September 26, 2020
Pathetic attempt to defend the indefensible.
— Nick Mitchell (@HeyNickMitchell) September 26, 2020
In applying Occam’s razor, perhaps the adoptions were motivated by simple human decency? This thought doesn’t appear to have occurred to him. Kendi oozes resentment and cynicism
— The Enlightenment Rocked (@the_rocked) September 26, 2020
Show me statistical evidence of racists adopting black children. I'm not saying no one has ever done it but the inference that it is statically significant in any way is disingenuous.
— Nathan #RIP Jake Gardner (@Nathan76348271) September 26, 2020
Oh, so he was just making an off-hand comment and not smearing by insinuation?
Sure thing, pal.
— InTheRightColumn (@TheRightColumn) September 26, 2020
You really should stop being so generous in your interpretations of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.
This is who he’s always been.
— Max Nordau (@MaxNordau) September 26, 2020
Nah,
Another “white man bad” trope.
He’s knows what he’s doing. Racists are good at stoking flames
— Michael_Gordon (@Mikeranger14) September 26, 2020
Trying to keep the woke card active?
— Bernie Stans are a cult. (@ChipD82) September 26, 2020
Dude, do you really think attacking adoptive parents of children, of any skin color that they "may have had" malicious intent in their adopting their children is a smart strategy?
— Big_A (@asomer) September 26, 2020
Look at how the conversation started. The only person misconstruing what he said is you.
— Liberalism Is a Mental Illness (@MNHockey17) September 26, 2020
But Kendi told us there are only racists and anti-racists. So which of the two is Barrett?
— Dean Brando (@brando_dean) September 26, 2020
But Kendi says you are either racist or antiracist. So he is clearly calling them racist. Like that's his own words.
Word games like this are sophomoric.
— Potiphar C (@PotipharJo) September 26, 2020
His entire movement argues that no matter how much you prostrate yourself to “anti-racism” Maoist struggle sessions, you’re *never* going to not be racist. So yeah, of course common sense says he thinks she’s a racist regardless of any action she did or didn’t take.
— Danielle (@DanielleWalk20) September 26, 2020
Why are you whitespainling? Are you racist?
— C_NUTS (@Najari_cay) September 26, 2020
Kendi is a terrible person, you are a hack, which is better than being terrible, I guess
— Brian (@gringoinbrazil) September 26, 2020
I wonder if you can pinpoint when you lost your soul, and whether it was the same moment you lost your intellect.
This take is a grotesquery and you’re here for it. Yuck.
— Cute Republican Puppy (@AlexBro92860891) September 26, 2020
Let's get real here.
Dude is bashing her because she adopted black kids.
It's pure and simple. No long thread needed.
Anything else you say about it doesn't matter.— Ken (@KenUSMC4Life) September 26, 2020
Kendi always says unreasonable things, and then white liberals always try to pretend he actually meant something reasonable.
He is clearly saying she adopted these kids because she is a colonizer who wants to civilize savages, and accused her of stealing them from their parents.
— Daniel Friedman (@DanFriedman81) September 26, 2020
— Noobmaster69 (@SederVCU) September 26, 2020
That…is a remarkably charitable reading of a post that uses scare quotes around "adopted".
You don't need to provide charitable readings to those who clearly won't provide it in return.
— Thirty Six Edible Cups (@ThirtySixCups) September 26, 2020
Maybe don’t defend this tweet
— Codename Dutchess (@Jimmy_Stick) September 26, 2020
No, he's quite clearly strongly implying that she's racist, and that the adoption was an act of racist colonization.
— joeblow8742356 (@joeblow87423561) September 26, 2020
Why else would he say this? Of course that’s what he’s trying to imply. It’s how he can get away with the plausible deniability and still put the doubt in people’s minds. Of course he’s trying to accuse her of racism. What else could he possibly bring to this situation?
— Emperor Palpatine (@optprime79) September 26, 2020
#WhiteSavior has to explain a black man's tweet
— Redrufus4u (@Redrufus4u) September 26, 2020
It isn't being misconstrued at all. Kendi is a flagrant racist.
Also if adopting, loving, caring for, rearing, and otherwise completely folding those of another race into your own family such that they're no different than any other of your children isn't proof?
Eat shit.
— Fasc (@FascBear) September 26, 2020
Since Kendi brought up white colonizers using their civilized black children as “props in their lifelong pictures of denial” in the context of Barrett’s family, we’d say nobody’s misconstruing anything.
Related:
Ibram X. Kendi on Amy Coney Barrett’s kids: White colonizers ‘adopted’ blacks and ‘civilized’ them to use as props https://t.co/Gb1M20GnTx
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 26, 2020
