Topic: Black Identity

Karen Hunter critiques "Trumpism" within the Black community, specifically targeting the ADOS (American Descendants of Slavery) movement for its "grievance mindset." She argues that this isolationist approach prevents alliances with immigrants and the LGBTQ community. The hosts counter that Black men are increasingly walking away from the "political table" because they feel their specific grievances are ignored by the progressive coalition.

Adam Curry and Mo Facts read donations from "Big Ballers" and "Associate Executive Producers." A donor named Brandon Johnson recounts meeting Curry in Charleston and jokingly pretending to be Mo Facts. The hosts discuss the diverse makeup of their "Fax Fam" listener community.

Mo Fax discusses the personal cost of refusing to push political narratives, noting that it often leads to isolation from both the "liberal movement" and one's own community. He reflects on being told he is "different" as a backhanded compliment that highlights the prevalence of media stereotypes. He concludes that true freedom comes from a willingness to be ostracized rather than kowtowing to a system that demands performative silliness.

Media analysts claim an uptick in bot activity using the ADOS hashtag was designed to mimic black community support or dissent regarding candidates like Harris and Booker. The hosts argue that Silicon Valley and media elites used the "Russian bot" narrative to ignore authentic internal debates within the black community.

In 2017, the FBI created the "Black Identity Extremist" (BIE) assessment following police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge. This classification allows for invasive surveillance tactics against activists protesting police violence. The hosts discuss how the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expanded the government's power to detain and surveil citizens, noting that the label of "conspiracy theorist" is increasingly used to justify placement on government watchlists.

Michael German, a former FBI agent and fellow for the Brennan Center for Justice, criticizes the FBI for molding disparate acts of violence into a singular "movement" to justify investigations. He argues that the Black Identity Extremist label was created to target activists whose actions are protected by the First Amendment. By connecting individuals to a named group, the FBI can bypass legal restrictions on investigating political activity.

Drawing on the theories of Rene Girard, the discussion explores the "ritual sacrifice" of Black men as a tool to create social cohesion among white populations. This "symbolic murder" of identity is used to restore harmony to a community by projecting internal violence onto a marginal victim. The hosts argue that the Democratic Party dehumanized George Floyd by treating him as a necessary sacrificial lamb.

A poignant scene from the film *The Women of Brewster Place* featuring Cicely Tyson and Oprah Winfrey is analyzed for its themes of Black heritage and identity. The hosts discuss the "middle-class amnesia" depicted in the film and the tension between African roots and American reality. They characterize the film as a significant piece of cultural propaganda from the early 1980s.

A throwback to episode 31 examines an FBI report on "Black Identity Extremists." The hosts argue that the same tactics used to label and infiltrate Black movements are now being applied to the MAGA movement. They discuss "gang-stalking" and the use of provocateurs to justify government crackdowns on any group that challenges the status quo.

Al Sharpton suggests that Bernie Sanders struggled in the South due to a lack of cultural and spiritual connection to the Black church. Mo Facts argues that Sanders' Jewish identity was a quiet but significant factor among Black Christian voters in South Carolina. They contrast this with Barack Obama's strategic use of his church affiliation to build trust with older Black voters.

The discussion introduces the term Black Identity Extremist (BIE), which originated in a leaked 2017 FBI document. The bureau classified the movement as a domestic terror threat, claiming the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, triggered retaliatory violence against police officers.

The ADOS (American Descendants of Slavery) movement is presented as an effort to redefine identity based on lineage rather than a vague racial color. The hosts discuss various terms like "Foundational Black Americans" and "Native Blacks," noting that they all represent a desire to move away from preselected labels. They argue that the term ADOS serves as a "useful code" that immediately establishes a shared historical relationship.

Dr. Claude Anderson argues that Black Americans are the only group that fails to advocate specifically for their own interests, instead defaulting to "civil rights" which benefits all minority groups. He claims that lumping Black people into broad categories like "minorities" or "people of color" allows other groups to "eat their lunch" regarding resources and affirmative action.

Analysis of the Harris campaign strategy reveals an attempt to replicate the Barack Obama blueprint while adding female identity. The hosts argue she failed to connect with the black electorate, dismissing claims from The View that her loss was a result of "whitelash" or Donald Trump's influence on Democratic voters.

The hosts critique Joy Reid for attributing the "black box" and ADOS (American Descendants of Slavery) criticism of Kamala Harris to Russian bots. They argue this was a "believable lie" used by the Democratic Party to explain away Harris's lack of genuine support among the black electorate.

The discussion explores Colin Kaepernick's racial identity as a biracial man adopted by a white family and how this influenced public perception. Historically, the NFL applied different standards and stereotypes to Black quarterbacks, often questioning their mental capacity for the position. Kaepernick's shift toward a more radical Black identity and his decision to take a knee—a gesture some interpret as a sign of obedience—is analyzed within this historical context.

Lawrence Otis Graham’s book, *Our Kind of People*, is referenced to provide a historical list of "17 ways to pass" for white. These include attending white colleges in rural towns, changing last names (avoiding names like Curry or Jones), and even "killing oneself off" in the minds of black relatives to start a new life in white society.

Angela Rye's appearance on the Essence YouTube channel is analyzed for its use of "victim terminology" such as "oppressor" and "marginalized." The segment critiques her call for "banking black" alongside Charlemagne Tha God and the reliance on alliances with other marginalized groups. Claims are made that a small minority of activists, funded by figures like George Soros, dominate the narrative on platforms like Twitter to represent the broader Black sentiment.

A review of previous listener feedback addresses claims of being too harsh on women during discussions of identity politics. The conversation shifts to how political elites allegedly target the black community by pitting men and women against each other. Reference is made to historical "man about the house" rules and 1968 welfare reforms as tools used to fracture family structures.

The term "Black" has shifted in meaning due to mass immigration from Africa and the Caribbean, leading to the coining of the term ADOS by Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore. There is a growing distinction between descendants of American slaves and more recent Black immigrants, exemplified by the inclusion of non-ADOS figures like Ilhan Omar in the Congressional Black Caucus. This separation is often unpopular in mainstream politics because the term "Black" is frequently used as a monolithic leveraging tool.