Atlantic writer Jemele Hill has received a barrage of online criticism after claiming on Twitter that black men do not want equality for all, but rather “better access to patriarchy” for themselves.
“I have increasingly found that many black men just want better access to patriarchy,” Hill tweeted in a Tuesday hot-take, adding: “They don’t actually want [the patriarchy] dismantled.”
The pundit, no stranger to making controversial sweeping statements, did not provide any specific details from her analysis of the black male population. In the replies, however, Hill said that her opinion was based on “some of the conversations” she’s had recently, which she described as “disturbing.”
The broad and undefined statement provoked quite a diverse wave of criticism.
Many Twitter users were offended that Hill seemed to have extrapolated her judgment of some “black men in her circle” to the general black male population. Some even suggested she change her circle of black male acquaintances to help her avoid such “dangerous generalizations.”
Another group mocked Hill for perceived hypocrisy, given that she herself has climbed career ladders in various male-dominated spaces, while “most black men on the ground won’t ever get to experience” similar.
Conservative writer Dan McLaughlin quipped that Hill was making a woke argument that even black men were “problematic now.”
Florida politician Pam Keith agreed with Hill, though, expressing her view that the pundit was describing black male Trump supporters.
Keith was not on her own; many others also defended Hill, saying some black men are “choosing gender over race” and “throwing black women under the bus.”
Despite being bombarded with criticism, Hill didn’t back down from her position, tweeting, “The one conversation we don’t have in our community is about misogyny.”
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