ELITE CAPTURE (SPRING 2023)
Join Sông2Sea for our Spring Study Group for six sessions from May 6 – June 10 on identity politics, based on the book Elite Capture by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò!
The term “identity politics” was first introduced by the radical Black feminist socialist Combahee River Collective in a statement published in 1977, when they wrote: “We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters and our community which allows us to continue our struggle and work. This focusing upon our own oppression is embodied in the concept of identity politics.”
Today, the term has often been used without context and shared understanding, leading to conflict and confusion. Additionally, one’s identity has also been used as a reductionist method for personal gains, or to further imperialist policies and practices.
We’ve seen an NYT op-ed stating that if Hollywood makes a movie with an Asian American superhero, “they’re forced to see us as humans.” We’ve seen the rise of the DE&I industry and racial or gender diversity being touted as progress, such as the first woman to lead U.S. armed forces branch or the first Black Secretary of Defense.
Join Sông2Sea as we examine these promises of progress based on representation and identity reductionism. We will examine how identity politics has become a victim of elite capture, stripped of its political substance and liberatory potential, and we will explore when identity politics can be revolutionary.
Additionally, we will look at the historical formation of Asian American as a political identity, and discuss whether it helps or hinders us at this time.
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Build a strong understanding of what identity politics is — as well as its limits and potentials — and how concepts such as these are captured and watered down by the elite and powerful.
Identify when our identities get “captured,” essentialized, or used in identity reductionism, and analyze the impact of representation in politics, media, and other institutions.
Learn more about deference politics and how that can be a hindrance rather than a tool towards organizing and liberation.
Develop analysis and practice of constructive politics: “focus on outcome over process: the pursuit of specific goals or results, rather than mere avoidance of ‘complicity’ in injustice or promotion of purely moral or aesthetic principles.”
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We will use the book Elite Capture by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò as the main source for reading, and we will provide a digital copy of the book and a study guide and summary for each chapter.
We will use a dedicated Discord server for communication, asynchronous participation, and resource-sharing.
There will be six sessions total. We ask that you commit to participating in at least four sessions (via Zoom and/or Discord), barring unforeseen circumstances.
The group will meet via Zoom (closed captioning provided) on Saturdays from April 15th to May 20th. The first and last session will be in the evening, while the middle four sessions will be in the morning.
To be more accessible to our comrades in a local mutual aid group in different time zones, we are piloting a new time!
Kick-off and closing (April 15 and May 20) will be on Saturday evenings from 6-8pm PT
The other four sessions (April 22, April 29, May 6, May 13) will be on Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm PT
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Week 1 (April 15 from 6-8pm PT): Introduction & Chapter 1 – What is Elite Capture?
Week 2 (April 22 from 10am-12pm PT): Chapter 2 – Reading the Room
Week 3 (April 29 from 10am-12pm PT): Chapter 3 – Being in the Room
Week 4 (May 6 from 10am-12pm PT): Chapter 4 – Building a New House
Week 5 (May 13 from 10am-12pm PT): Chapter 5 – The Point is to Change it
Week 6 (May 20 from 6-8pm PT): Discussion on Asian American and AAPI identity formation, challenges, and potential