African American Studies Commons^™

"McNeil draws on a genealogy of African American thought to demonstrate that, far from being an atavistic curmudgeon, Armond White's agitation against bloggers and amateur pundits represents an important and misunderstood voice in the current critic-audience debate. In a world flooded with unconsidered punditry, White --- and .... other writers influenced by James Baldwin --- remind us that artful critics consider it a public duty to respond to works of art honestly and to question the motives of other artists and critics" (Mattias Frey, Senior Lecturer in Film, University of Kent)

Throughout his career as a filmmaker Norman Jewison has confronted stereotypes that depict white liberals as hypocritical and insincere do-gooders. He has also seized and contested the position of victim against radicals on the left and right. This paper outlines some of the commonalities between the Canadian filmmaker and Robin Winks and Michael Banton, two prominent academics in the United States and the United Kingdom who also opposed the "unacceptable face of capitalism" and the “overly politicized” scholarship of radical intellectuals. My conclusion provides a counterpoint to the liberal humanism of Jewison, Winks and Banton by turning to the new …