I began writing for Black Agenda Report over four years ago. As a
"non-Black" identified person of color, Black Agenda Report's commitment
to the Black Radical Tradition was an inspiration in a period marked by
deep political reaction. Black Agenda Report did not betray its
political principles in the face of the first Black President at a time
when there was immense pressure to do so. Black Agenda Report not only
provided a forum for Black left political thought and action, but also
advanced necessary debates in service of movements for social
transformation in the Black American community and oppressed communities
worldwide. The conversation that has emerged from Cornel West’s
critique of Coates is one that BAR has amplified since its inception and
should not be left in the polluting grips of the Black political class
and their white liberal allies.
Cornel West essentially outlined the political program of the Black
Radical Tradition by exposing the political emptiness of Ta-Nehisi
Coates. Coates has made exorbitant profit from book sales and articles
for publications such as The Atlantic. His recent text, Eight Years in Power
capitalized on the rise of Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Obama
era. Coates has benefitted from the neo-liberal brand of Black
leadership that grew in strength during the era of Obama. His
work on reparations, white supremacy, and the Obama-Trump phenomenon
has given him a bright national spotlight. However, with one article,
Cornel West illuminated how Coates has done little more than build a
comfortable career in place of genuine service to the masses of poor and
oppressed people in the Black community and beyond.
-- Danny Haiphong, "Cornel West Vs. Coates: A Necessary Debate That Black Agenda Report Has Amplified Since Its Inception" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).