For too long, clear-eyed warnings about the dangers of fascism, white supremacy, and the threat of political violence have been dismissed, often because the voices raising them—those of Black, Brown, Muslim, and Queer individuals—are systematically marginalized. The current political crisis reveals the long-predicted consequence of this inaction, highlighting a profound societal failing: the prioritization of white grievances, white tears, and white rage over the tangible peril facing communities of color.
The Cost of White Moderation
The foundational argument is simple, yet devastating: the two enduring sins of America are white supremacy and unfettered capitalism (or racism and greed). The current political climate—marked by threats of martial law, the co-option of institutions like corporations and media, and the public embrace of figures whose legacies are built on hate—serves as irrefutable proof of these warnings.
In this environment, white lives and white voices matter more. The ease with which a “racist, treasonous loser who wanted to enslave black people,” like Robert E. Lee, can be immortalized with statues and schools contrasts sharply with the nearly impossible struggle for marginalized people to achieve recognition. This disparity is maintained not solely by overt white supremacists, but critically, by the white moderate.
MLK’s Warning Echoes in Modern Politics
Decades after Martin Luther King Jr.’s indictment of the white moderate in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” the sentiment remains tragically relevant. King argued that the moderate is a greater “stumbling block in the stride toward freedom” than the Ku Klux Klanner, because they are “more devoted to order than to justice.” They prefer a “negative peace” (the absence of tension) over a “positive peace” (the presence of justice), constantly advising those demanding freedom to “wait until a... more convenient season.”
This pattern of evasion is evident in modern liberal and centrist circles:
A preference for “game” over “humanity”: Prominent political commentators prioritize strategic electoral wins and abstract political “gamesmanship” over the physical and systemic harms faced by vulnerable populations. The conversation becomes a detached intellectual exercise about “what concessions should we make” rather than an urgent moral reckoning.
The pursuit of reconciliation without truth: Historical and present-day atrocities—from the post-9/11 surveillance and profiling of Muslims and Arabs to the constant threat of deportation for undocumented immigrants and the political marginalization of Trans people—are often ignored or downplayed by moderates seeking a false sense of unity or civility. This attempt at reconciliation without truth only exacerbates the underlying injustice.
Normalization of bigotry: The tendency to “whitewash” or sanitize the legacy of public figures, even those who espoused open bigotry against Black women, Trans people, and Muslims, reveals a systemic failure of moral clarity. This act of normalization carries a direct cost in the form of danger and dehumanization for Black and Brown bodies.
A Call for White Radicalism
The continued failure of the white moderate—the centrist Democrats, the political establishment, and the “libs” who dismiss valid criticism as “being sensitive”—is rooted in a form of systemic blindness. This ideology, which prioritizes the preservation of the status quo and a comfortable, white-centric narrative, is ultimately complicit in the perpetuation of the very systems it claims to oppose.
Moving forward requires a fundamental shift: White Moderates Need to Evolve into White Radicals or Shut the F--- Up. If the word “radical” is too divisive, then the change must be toward white reformers—individuals who prioritize the humanity of the oppressed over the comfort of the privileged.
This means:
Embracing an “all of us or none of us” politics: Rejecting the strategy of sacrificing marginalized groups (whether Palestinian advocates, Trans individuals, or immigrants) for perceived electoral advantage.
Telling the truth: Refusing to minimize or ignore the violent, racist, and bigoted rhetoric that fuels the far-right, even in the name of civility or post-mortem memorializing.
Acting with urgency: Recognizing that “justice too long delayed is justice denied,” and that the quest for freedom cannot wait for a “more convenient season” dictated by those not under threat.
This struggle is not a “game” to be won by clever political maneuvers; it is a fundamental battle for multiracial democracy against the forces of white nationalism. Complicity, disguised as moderation, is no longer an option.
Check this out: The interview on The Ezra Klein Show features an important discussion about the legacy of a hate monger. Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ezra Klein Hash Out Their Charlie Kirk Disagreement
