The Growth of Identity Politics
Politics, as some would say, is a topic people would try and not talk about very often. This is because people often have different opinions and views when it comes to politics, which then creates borders and walls between people from either left or right. This is also where Identity politics steps in.
Today, I will be talking about how identity politics emerged in the world of politics and analyze whether it has gone too far or it is exactly where it’s meant to be. According to Jonathan Heidt, Identity politics is neither good nor bad. This information will allow us to assess and evaluate whether this is true or not.
Identity politics started growing when large-scale political movements arose in the United States. One particular and popular figure when this emerged was Martin Luther King Jr., the man who fought for equal rights amongst his fellow African American people. He went above and beyond to get the equal treatment he believed his people had the right to, and through this, African American people were granted the right to vote, participate in elections, and ultimately removed racial segregation in America. Even until now, his words and actions reflect and influence the #BlackLivesMatter movement around the world.
However, we do get to ask ourselves, where do we draw the line for Identity Politics? Are we asking for more than what is necessary? And is this nothing more than the fight for equal rights?
As Identity Politics continue to evolve in the political world, new ideas and solutions run over the minds of the people. One example mentioned by Jonathan Heidth was the #DefundThePolice notion that has gone around social media following the BLM movement. This idea alone no longer fights for equal rights in the black community but serves as a direct attack on the police department who has failed to serve and protect the black community. Although we may have different opinions on this notion, Identity Politics in this situation seeks for everything but equality for race, gender, and the likes.
There is a fine line between protecting and defending the basic rights in our community regardless of their gender and race. This is far different from attacking the institution itself and reaching for something else more than what is necessary. In other words, it is also somehow like using a movement for more personal reasons and issues rather than mainly helping the community as a whole. This defeats the purpose of the whole movement, giving Identity Politics a bad image for many.
The political discourse regarding several issues found in this spectrum can go on all day and we’d still find ourselves questioning whether we’ve gone too far or not. However, one thing is for sure, and it is how identity politics continue to evolve in modernity as people seek out better ideals and opportunities for the growing contemporary world we live in today.
Sources:
Heyes, C. (2020). Identity Politics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Retrieved February 8, 2021, from Stanford.edu website: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-politics/
Truman, R. (2019, December 3). OPINION: Identity politics is crucial. Retrieved from The Daily Wildcat website: https://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2019/12/o-raceobsession
