UMVA has learned that a prominent Ohio State University history professor, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, has issued a call to arms, urging citizens to rise up and fight the system "by any means necessary," echoing the violent legacy of abolitionist John Brown.
Jeffries, brother of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, made the remarks in a social media post that was widely interpreted as a thinly veiled rationalization for political violence. He invoked Brown, who infamously murdered white farmers who supported slavery, as a model for modern-day activists.
In a stark and ominous tone, Jeffries declared that John Brown understood that the only way to free Americans from the scourge of White supremacy was to get rid of White supremacists by any means necessary. He boldly stated that Brown was right then, and he is right now.
This incendiary rhetoric is not isolated, as other academics have also pushed Brown as a model for activists fighting racism and other societal ills. Stacey Patton, a professor of journalism at Howard University, previously argued that White liberals should stop asking how to be better "allies" to minorities and instead emulate Brown's unwavering commitment to the cause.
Patton heralded Brown as a figure who saw the horror of slavery for what it was and decided that ending it mattered more than being understood. She provocatively asked, "What am I willing to burn so somebody else can breathe?"
John Brown's legacy is complex and multifaceted. He is best known for his pivotal role in the period known as "Bleeding Kansas" and the infamous Pottawatomie massacre, which he orchestrated in 1856. Brown and his fellow abolitionists brutally executed five Kansas settlers, at least three of whom were pro-slavery sympathizers.
Brown's actions were met with both admiration and criticism. Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, credited Brown with being "the thunder clap" that helped spark the struggle for freedom. However, he also criticized Brown's violent methods and argued for political, not violent, change.
Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, denounced Brown as an insane zealot, comparing him to "the many attempts, related in history, at the assassination of kings and emperors." Lincoln notably viewed Brown's actions as a reckless attempt to spark a slave revolt.
The echoing of Brown's legacy by Jeffries and Patton raises concerns about the growing trend of radical voices calling for violent action. Democratic voters have turned out for candidates who have advocated for imprisonment and even castration of certain groups.
In Maine, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has channeled the most unhinged aspects of John Brown, declaring that "there are times in this world when, for the good of tolerance and humanity, you need to kill a motherf—er." His rhetoric is strikingly similar to Brown's.
This rise of radical voices has been explored in depth, revealing a disturbing trend of "new Jacobins" unleashing the same impulses that led to the "Terror" in France. These individuals dismiss notions of nonviolent political action, instead advocating for violence as a means to achieve their goals.
As this trend continues to gain traction, a cautionary tale from the French Revolution serves as a stark warning: "Like Saturn, the Revolution devours its children." The consequences of fueling rage to achieve political power can be devastating.
