The C.O.W.S. Ernest Tidyman’s SHAFT Part 5 (Conclusion)

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Thursday, November 4th 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific

The Context of White Supremacy hosts the fourth study session on Ernest Tidyman’s 1970 novel, SHAFT. Tidyman is a White man. He forged a distinguished journalism career working for The New York Times and Ohio’s The Plain Dealer. In the midst of the so called Civil Rights Movement and the unrest of the 1960’s, Tidyman decided to concoct a narrative around a black private detective named John SHAFT. This relatively short book sparked fifty years of trashy films and a television program, and mightily influenced the thoughts, speech, action, emotions, and wardrobe of generations of black people. Gus has yet to hear of any black people (including Neely Fuller Jr.) who were aware that the SHAFT franchise is the spawn of a White Man. During the third session, Tidyman has White enforcement officials describe the White mafia killing of several black males. They remark that this had to be the work of a White man because black people are not great thinkers. Repeatedly, Tidyman describes Ben Buford, the only character in the book attempting to counter racism, as some type of insect (non-human). At one point, Ben Buford, SHAFT and Knox Parsons have a brawl over the details of the kidnapping. Tidyman has Buford label SHAFT as a “faggot cocksucker.” The homoeroticism of the text continues, when Tidyman has a pair of White gangbangers gawk and fantasize about having anti-sex with SHAFT and/or viewing SHAFT engaged in sexual activity.

#IsaacHayes