Africa Brooke
Leaving the Cult of Wokeness
One of the most freeing things about being cancelled is no longer having to worry about what my “tribe” thinks of me. Once your “friends” from the left kick you in the teeth and disown you, you’re suddenly free to listen to supposed third-rail thinkers like Douglas Murray, Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, Matt Taibbi, Joe Rogan, Bret Weinstein, Dave Rubin, Russell Brand, Candace Owens, Sam Harris, Coleman Hughes, RuinedLeon, Gothix, John McWhorter, Bari Weiss, Glenn Loury, Amy Chua, James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose, Peter Boghossian, Jonathan Haidt, et al.
And you know what you find out when you actually listen to a lot of these folks in long-form discussions? They’re not Satan! I know, so shocking. . . . Sure, they have opinions I don’t agree with—just like you have opinions that other people don’t agree with. I know the extreme left wants everyone to tow the line, and just think like a homogenous monolith based on immutable markers like sex, gender, and race—and once you express an opinion that doesn’t fit the narrative, you’re publicly doomed—but I believe the path forward is through diversity of thought.
I know it’s terribly difficult for these postmodern neo-Marxists to wrap their heads around, but the very basis of a free society demands diversity of thought and divergence of opinion. These things—coupled with a good-faith intention to be open to dialogue, even when that dialogue (gasp!) makes you uncomfortable—are what allow progress to take place in the marketplace of ideas, which is the only thing standing between a civil society and violence. And by violence, I mean actual physical harm, not violence in its new woke definition of “any utterance one does not agree with or that hurts one’s feelings.”
Don’t worry, though—lest one think I’ve fallen down some far-right rabbit hole—I still listen to “approved” thinkers firmly to the left of centre, but by opening my mind to people deemed monsters by the illiberal left, I end up with a much fuller picture of the intellectual landscape we inhabit. I cannot recommend stepping out of one’s echo chamber highly enough. As I said above, once you listen to a lot of these folks in long-form discussions (not 30-second soundbites designed to straw man their arguments)—unless you’re unable to overcome your tribe’s indoctrination—you begin to appreciate that they all have valid points to make.
Again, I don’t agree with everything they say, but that’s a good thing. It’s a sign that I’m expanding my diversity-of-thought circle, that other opinions are getting into my head, making me think, making me reason through my own thoughts, which allows me to firm up my reasons for thinking the way I do. This practice of deplatforming, silencing, shouting down, and flat-out censoring ideas and speakers we don’t agree with is Orwellian, and erects an impenetrable wall to true societal progress.
With no tribe to shame me into thinking a particular way, I can now simply listen to everybody, which gives me a much stronger base upon which to build my opinions. In fact, case in point, I found out about Africa Brooke on a podcast hosted by Mikhaila Peterson and Jordan Peterson (Africa brings Jordan to tears at around the 53:40 mark, and it’s wonderful). I might never have known who she was if I hadn’t been willing to listen to this podcast.
A little while back, Africa wrote an open letter explaining why she was leaving the “cult of wokeness.” I strongly urge you to read it. It went viral, and has been read over 4 million times.
Reading this letter bolstered my own courage, and I hope it does so for you, too.
I’ve copied the first chunk of it below. Click through at the end to read the rest.
Thanks,
Æ
If there's one thing I'm NOT afraid of, it's being 'cancelled'.
If being cancelled means me living in integrity as a human being who thinks for themselves, CANCEL ME TODAY!
I repeat; I am not afraid.
What I'm truly afraid of is existing in a world that forces me to submit to an ideology without question, otherwise I'm to be shamed (or pressured to shame myself) and cast out of the community.
A world that tells me that because I inhabit a black body; I will forever be oppressed and at the mercy of some omnipresent monster called 'whiteness'.
That because of the colour of my skin; I am a victim of an inherently racist system by default - and me rejecting the narrative of oppression means that I am in fact, in denial.
How empowering!
*You know, as someone that comes from Zimbabwe, a country where the general population is truly oppressed, it perplexes me that oppression is now being worn as an identity piece in most parts of the West, especially by those who claim to be 'progressive'*
What I'm truly afraid of is existing in a world that forces me to consider the colour of my skin and my gender (and that of others) at every fucking turn, instead of living by Martin Luther King's teachings and prioritising the content of mine and other people's character.
I dread the prospect of a world where context, nuance, critical thinking, meritocracy, mathematics, science, and rationality are considered tools of 'white supremacy', and the rule is that you're not allowed to question or argue this senseless statement - especially if you're white.
A world that is conditioning you and I to believe that we will always be trapped in some weird hierarchy because of our race, our genitals, our physical abilities, our neurodiversity, our sexuality, and our politics.
And that if we do not agree on every single thing, it's a sign that we are interacting with an enemy - or at the very least, someone to be wildly suspicious and judgmental of...instead of another complex human being worthy of being seen and heard.
I wish this world I’m speaking of was just a figment of my imagination, but we are already inside it. Our suitcases have been unpacked here for quite some time.
This absolutist, authoritarian world is being fiercely crafted under the guise of 'social justice', and I want no parts in this. I AM OUT.
As someone that, politically speaking, leans left on most things (although I'm neither left or right) - the current state of affairs and this push for obedience at all costs is NOT what I signed up for.
I never signed up to be hit over the head with disempowering narratives that tell me that I need to refer to myself as a 'person of colour' (how is this different being called a ‘coloured’ person?), a minority, a marginalised person, and BAME (UK version of BIPOC).
I cannot stand any of these terms.
Please, if we ever need to address my racial identity, which we really don't need to do as often as you might think...BLACK works just fine, it's not a dirty word.
And remember; it's okay if the language I mentioned before is affirming for you, we are allowed to disagree - but for ME, it does nothing but give me false reminders of my supposed oppression...which rubs me the wrong way entirely because I AM NOT OPPRESSED.
I think it's key that we begin to accept that black people don't all share a singular experience, nor do we share the same brain.
Shocking, I know.
'We are not a monolith' has become a common statement within communities that identify as marginalised, and while I wholeheartedly agree, we're definitely not a monolith...
I've noticed that despite this being a popular mantra - when someone 'steps out of line' or dares to think differently...it's a different story. You will often have the pleasure of being told that you are in denial and have some kind of internalised disorder;
'internalised racism', 'internalised anti-blackness', 'internalised misogyny', 'internalised sexism', 'internalised homophobia', 'internalised transphobia', 'internalised white supremacy'...
Meaning NOTHING can be questioned.
Fun. Culty. Vibes.
Honestly, I want better for us because it's all getting a bit much in these social justice/woke spaces, and it scares me to know that it's become controversial to address any concerns or express a differing viewpoint.
It's becoming dangerous to address reality. You either agree and comply, or you shut up.
I'm so happy that these are conversations that are now happening with many black people in my life, including my family who spend very little time online, are willing to have healthy debates, and couldn't give a crap about identity politics. These are the people who have really helped me free myself from the dogmatic thinking.
It's necessary for me to mention that I'm having these conversations with black people because some individuals think that it's only white people who are pushing back against wokeism, and it's far from the truth.
What is worrying though is how many more of us feel afraid to talk to our own friends, our partners, our spouses, our colleagues, our family - of fear of being branded as 'wrong-thinkers'. How are we supposed to understand each other if we're living in constant fear of saying the 'wrong' thing?
It's even harder if you're white because there's usually someone just waiting to call you racist. And according to the woke manual, if you're white you're supposed to just accept that label. If you do question it or defend yourself, it's taken as confirmation that you ARE in fact a white supremacist.
If you DARE express any fears or signs of being rightfully upset, you'll be accused of 'centering your white feelings', and of exuding 'white guilt' or 'white fragility'. With all disrespect, I don't understand the purpose of these cultish, degrading, racist terms.
How are they helping us move forward? Is this true social justice? How is this helping the black community? How is this shaping a world where you and I aren't judged by the colour of our skin? Are we really trying to eradicate racism with racism?
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