[The Sabbaticus]

Video description: It’s easy to dismiss anyone querying the Black Lives Matter movement as either pointlessly contrarian or — worse — actually racist. After all, who could object to the truism contained within the movement’s name?

But there are important questions to ask about what the facts show about the scale of ‘systemic racism’, and whether drawing attention to race in such an intense way ultimately advances or hurts Martin Luther King’s vision of people being judged “not by the colour of their skin but but the content of their character.”

Coleman Hughes is just 24 years old, but as a fellow of the Manhattan Institute and Contributing Editor of City Journal, has already established himself as a brave and distinctly level-headed voice during heated times.

It was a pleasure to talk to him, and hear his measured and fair assessment of race relations in America, and the effect of the wider BLM movement. Have a watch above…

In the above video Coleman Hughes offers a number of moral arguments against the Black Lives Matter organization, arguing, amongst other things, that it had already achieved several of its objective years back. Now more people know the names of the black individuals who died from police brutality than white people. In fact, he states, that most people wouldn't be able to name a single white person who has died due to police brutality, despite more white unarmed people being killed by police every year than black people.

He also mentions the disparity in incarceration rates between black and white people, noting how most comparisons facilely disregard demographics (age groups), geographical distribution, cultural practices & behaviours (amongst other things) that would largely explain the disparity. Younger people in economically deprived urban centres simply commit more crime on average than other age groups in other circumstances.

He also argues that race relations have been set back due to the racial hysteria promoted by these BLM extremists.

[late]

He also argues that race relations have been set back due to the racial hysteria promoted by these BLM extremists.

While things are better for Blacks, there is a long way to go.

Why do you think this is happening now?

The Corona virus is hitting Black communities much harder. The economic damage is hitting Black communities much harder.

This is a disaster for them, and the humanitarian response you'd expect in a disaster was not forthcoming. But they did see videos of police killing Blacks, and that did send them a message.

Do I need to spell it out for you?