Racial Justice Advocate

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/opinion/racial-justice-advocate.html

Version 0 of 1.

To the Editor:

Re “At Ole Miss, a Liberal Agitator Raises Hackles” (Oxford Journal, Feb. 14):

Since becoming the subject of a New York Times profile, I’ve come to regret consenting to the project. I appreciate your reporter’s intent, but my participation ensured that the article centered on me — my narrative, my experiences, my successes.

The article sought to critique the “white savior” narrative, yet reproduced its function. Black people were accessorized, presented as peripheral characters. My participation sanctioned the erasure of black voices and black work, and perpetuated white supremacy and white male privilege.

The important community-organizing work done at the University of Mississippi is indebted to the leadership of black women and men, including Dominique Scott, Tysianna Marino, Makala McNeil, Chukwuebuka Okoye, Tinecia Francis and Jamarkus Watson.

Their courage, and their commitment to concepts of collective liberation, continues to inspire me.

ALLEN COON

Petal, Miss.