Moving Beyond the Politics of Pity

Erec SmithWhen it comes to social justice and the advancement of marginalized groups, the “politics of pity” brand of activism posits trauma as the salient aspect of a downtrodden group —especially African Americans. The idea is that playing the victim can be an effective rhetorical practice for achieving social justice, and sometimes it can. People may not help you if you cannot sufficiently prove that you do, indeed, need help.However, there is a difference between pointing out instances of victimhood and defining an entire group as the collective personification of victimhood. Is a political tactic worth using if it necessitates the infantalization and degradation of the people it is meant to help?In“Moving Beyond the Politics of Pity,” published byQuillette, I reference prominent black thinkers from the past and present who spoke against pity politics and for dignity and agency. The politics of pity are detrimental to the mindset of downtrodden people and normalizes their designation as pitiable.Under this philosophy, black misery is seen as the norm. For many “pity politicians,” as it were, black joy is politically useless at best and abnormal at worst. The below excerpt shows some of the disempowering effects of the politics of pity on the very people it is meant to empower.From my article:The politics of pity render what otherwise may be beneficial and dignified practices as sites of racial misery.Restorative justice has its good manif...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs