Bringing An End To Race Politics - Coleman Hughes

The State of Race in America (00:00:00)

• Coleman Hughes' book advocates for a colorblind philosophy in America.
• He argues that race should be removed from public policy and that disadvantages should be corrected based on socioeconomics and class.
• Colorblindness has come under attack in recent years, being labeled as naive or white supremacist.
• Hughes argues that there is a difference between being color blind and not seeing race.
• He says that everyone sees race, but that we should try to treat people without regard to race.
• Saying "I don't see race" is a convenient target for critics of color blindness and allows them to dismiss the deeper philosophy without fair consideration.
• Instead, Hughes suggests saying "I try to treat people without regard to race."
• Hughes notes that there has been a shift in focus from class to race in discussions about social issues.
• He believes that class is a more important factor in determining a person's life outcomes than race.
• Hughes says that Americans are not as skilled as British people at determining someone's class background based on their accent and presentation.

Is This Not a Class Issue? (00:04:29)

• The Civil Rights Movement focused on class-based policies to address poverty and disadvantage, benefiting both black and white people disproportionately affected by poverty.
• The goal was to eliminate race-based policies and pursue a colorblind approach to combating poverty and disadvantage.
• Landmark civil rights legislation was passed in the 1960s, granting equal rights and opportunities to African Americans.
• Destructive riots in the late 1960s over issues of race and policing led to a loss of faith in the colorblind principle.
• The riots and subsequent events created pressure to prioritize racial identity and implement race-based policies.
• This shift was similar to the events following George Floyd's death in 2020, where institutions and individuals felt compelled to center race in their actions and policies.
• The impetus for race-based affirmative action and other race-based policies emerged from this pivot away from color blindness.

America’s Reaction to George Floyd (00:07:47)

• The media in America does not report police incidents involving white Americans, leading to the false perception that police brutality only happens to black people.
• This perception fueled the outrage and protests in 2020, leading to policies that did not effectively help the black community.
• Instead of addressing the needs of poor black communities like George Floyd, policies focused on promoting black people to leadership positions in corporations, which did not directly benefit those in need.
• Defunding the police, despite opposition from a majority of black Americans, resulted in a significant increase in homicides, particularly in poor black communities.

The Irony of Defunding the Police (00:12:18)

• The coexistence of "defund the police" signs in affluent neighborhoods with private security highlights the lack of empathy for the consequences of certain policies on disadvantaged communities.
• Hasty support for policies without considering potential negative consequences, especially for the intended beneficiaries, can lead to unintended harm.
• During the 2020 protests, presenting realistic crime impact statistics and opposing viewpoints was challenging due to accusations of racism or betrayal, creating an echo chamber of like-minded opinions.
• The prioritization of appearing virtuous over actually doing good has become prevalent, leading to a disconnect between words and actions, with little accountability for the consequences of policies.
• The summer of 2020 protests, sparked by the death of George Floyd, gained global attention and were influenced by pandemic-related restrictions and pent-up frustrations.
• Elite institutions, such as the medical establishment, have demonstrated hypocrisy and a loose relationship with their principles by denouncing right-wing protests against lockdowns while supporting mass protests against racism, despite the risk of spreading the virus.

Racism, Anti-Racism & Neo-Racism (00:19:57)

• Coleman Hughes criticizes the current state of anti-racism, arguing that it promotes the idea that white people should constantly defer to black people on matters of race, which he believes is racist.
• Hughes proposes an alternative form of anti-racism that emphasizes the irrelevance of race and treating individuals based on their character and values.
• The rise of anti-racism is attributed to the increased prevalence of camera-enabled smartphones and social media, which have made it easier to record and share incidents of police brutality and racial injustice.
• Despite the increased visibility of racism due to social media, surveys and polling data indicate a decline in racism, as evidenced by a decrease in the number of black people killed by police and an increase in interracial marriages.

Why Else Have Races Become More Divided? (00:30:18)

• Mistreatment of black people could have been the inflection point around 2012-2013, but there has been a long history of compounding issues.
• Lack of a common external enemy (like during the Cold War) has made the US more vulnerable to division.
• The end of the war on terror has also allowed people to focus more on internal divisions.
• Being at peace has made the US more inward-looking and obsessed with internal issues.

Are People Treating Each Other Worse? (00:33:27)

• Race relations have become strained due to paranoia and tension caused by race obsession in modern society.
• The #MeToo movement, while significant, has had unintended consequences, including reduced collaboration between men and women in academia, affecting women's careers and dating dynamics.
• Mimetic behavior and fear-mongering narratives can perpetuate harmful perceptions and anxiety, such as the fear of jogging while black.
• Creating a culture of "safetyism" doesn't enhance safety but rather increases fragility and vigilance.
• Exposure therapy, which involves repeatedly facing uncomfortable situations, can effectively reduce anxiety and phobias, particularly for Gen Z individuals who may have heightened anxiety due to fewer overall experiences.

The Ineffectiveness of Affirmative Action (00:45:38)

• Coleman Hughes advocates for a more inclusive approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) that emphasizes best practices like one-on-one meetings and golf-neutral policies rather than quotas.
• Hughes criticizes the current quota-based DEI approach as a form of reverse racism and argues that diversity should arise naturally, citing examples from the arts and music industries.
• He questions the need for manufacturing diversity in certain fields, highlighting the success of racially homogeneous groups like the Beatles and Earth, Wind & Fire, but acknowledges the importance of racial diversity in institutions like the police force where it enhances effectiveness.
• Hughes asserts that most firms and companies do not require racial diversity for effective job performance and that race-based policies have generally caused more harm than good.

How People Respond to Coleman’s Work (00:52:47)

• Coleman discusses the "peak hate rule" which states that individuals are often known for their most egregious and recent controversies.
• He mentions examples of John Peterson losing his license for refusing to use trans people's preferred pronouns and the controversy surrounding Sports Illustrated models.
• Coleman expresses fascination with the response to his discussions on race, having been featured on prominent platforms like B Mah, Sam Harris's show, and Rogan's show.
• Coleman receives mostly positive responses, with a concentrated stream of extreme negativity.
• Many people ignore Coleman's work, potentially due to the controversial nature of his topics.
• Coleman observes a growing sympathy towards his concerns as more people experience the negative consequences of racial obsession and the suspension of reason.
• Despite the positive reception, Coleman also faces intense hatred and vitriol from a small group of individuals.

The Inertia of Changing Perspectives (00:56:23)

• Ideas take time to move and change cultural norms.
• Conceptual inertia explains the delay in accepting new ideas even after they are widely accepted.
• The speed of understanding and acceptance of new ideas is slow due to various factors.
• People tend to conform their beliefs based on what others think or believe.
• Societal changes occur slowly, making it difficult to address negative consequences of certain policies.
• Changing people's opinions is a challenging task.
• Availability cascades occur when everyone pretends to believe something, but no one truly does.
• The Abilene Paradox describes a situation where everyone assumes they are the only one who disagrees with a group decision.
• Emperor's new clothes moment can trigger a cascade where people realize they are not alone in their skepticism.
• Certain beliefs within woke social justice may have the potential for rapid spread due to performative empathy, toxic compassion, and mimetic hijacking.

Rising Trends of Revising American History (01:02:02)

• Modern media, such as movies, tend to portray white people as the sole perpetrators of historical sins while downplaying the involvement of black people.
• Examples include the movie "The Woman King," which inaccurately portrays the dhomi tribe as guilt-ridden and abolishing slave trading, and "Hidden Figures," which exaggerates racial segregation experienced by a black woman at NASA.
• This perspective of history, emphasizing the evil of white people and the nobility of black people, is inaccurate and ignores the fact that slavery has existed in various societies throughout history, involving people of all races.
• Elites are often sympathetic to the "white is evil, people of color good" narrative and use trendy ways to signal their concern about racism.
• Elites are often unaware of their elite bubble, as exemplified by the use of the term "Latinx," which 60% of American Hispanic people have not heard of, 36% have heard of and dislike, and only 4% know and like.

How Do We Move Forward? (01:11:10)

• Check personal lives to ensure living by the ethos of colorblindness with friends and family.
• Promote policies and politicians that align with values.
• Overturn executive orders and judicial decisions that require discrimination based on race.
• Insist on the ideal of a colorblind society as the only end goal.
• Fearlessly stand for a colorblind society where individuals are not judged by skin color and the state does not discriminate based on race.

Where to Find Coleman (01:14:49)

• Coleman's writing can be found on his Substack, Coleman's Corner, and at the Free Press.
• He is a contributor at CNN for political analysis.
• His podcast is called Conversations with Coleman.