Anti-Racist Blog Shuts Itself Down

A long overdue update.

Some may remember the late-March posts on this blog, recounting my interactions with an anonymous hate-slinger, whose emails appeared in my inbox over the course of the past year. The messages promised to report me to “the proper authorities” for an alleged love of terrorists (advocating divestment from military companies that aid Israeli colonialism in Palestine).

After some digging, I posted new findings on March 18: the emails came from the Farmington, MI law firm of Kaufman Payton and Chapa, and their author was also the founder of the (now-defunct) website called Anti-Racist Blog, which cross-lists its posts on the notorious Daniel Pipes project called Campus Watch.

Nearly minutes after the post went up, connecting these dots, I received an email from the anonymous messenger, bartering for my silence:

“I request that you remove all references to the law firm from your blog, and refrain from writing such things about the law firm elsewhere in the future. To be fair, if you agree to this request I will remove ALL blog postings related to you and your brother from Anti-Racist Blog, and I will refrain from writing about you both on Anti-Racist Blog in the future.”

And minutes later, another email:

“I will take down the Anti-Racist Blog completely now and forever. I will do all of this as soon as you agree to these terms, and begin by taking down your two most recent blog posts.”

“In essence, I will permanently retire from the area and arena of advocacy. I hope you seriously consider this offer, which I believe is more than fair, and mutually beneficial.”

I never agreed to these terms, failing to see the benefits of keeping quiet about the underlying issues- the vilification of anti-zionist academics as unpatriotic, racist and anti-semitic.

Though I refused to enter into any such pact, the founder of Anti-Racist Blog revealed his name to me after nearly a year of anonymous correspondence and harassment. And a few days later, the Wayne State law grad, and attorney at Kaufman, Payton, and Chapa, shut down his blog anyway. His final blog post on March 22 apologized for “initiating or responding with anger” to opponents, but framed the shutdown of his blog as a result of “threatening emails, phone calls…headaches and harassment” instead of what it was: an attempt to cover his ass.

The blog remains inactive to this day, but some of Schwartz’s blog posts remain archived at Pipes’ “media” outlet. It is refreshing to see this tool for intimidation and harassment voluntarily dismantle. Schwartz’s ARB, and his anonymous emails written on office time are unwelcome not because I happen to disagree with his politics, but precisely because his site offered very little political substance.

The ongoing colonial project in Palestine continues to force an ideology of ethnic and religious hierarchy on irrevocably interconnected (however segregated) communities of people. Because the Zionist project has created such violent and inequitable realities through its basic hostility to difference, its defenders have little more than accusations of anti-Semitism to fend off a growing anti-Zionist movement that sees no sustainable future in Israeli apartheid.

With the Anti-Racist Blog around or not, the forces in this country that want to normalize and defend this discourse remain worthy targets for our heartiest critical energies and commitment.

to be continued…