HIJACKED!

A conservative African American pastor makes a case against progressive policies and ideas in this political book.

In this third installment of a four-volume series that targets contemporary Black leaders and social justice advocates, Washington continues his crusade against the left (which, per the work’s broad definition, includes everyone from President Joe Biden to activist Saul Alinsky). This entry begins with a lengthy introductory summary of the previous two books, often borrowing from their narratives word for word, in which the author argues that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s biblically based, pro-American vision has been usurped by left-wing scholars, Black Lives Matter activists, and a Democratic Party that is both historically and currently rooted in racism. After rehashing previous arguments against progressives, this book centers many of its critiques on the Black community because of its supposed support for abortion, “high rate of Black single-parent families,” and “Black-on-Black crime.” As pastor of the Abundant Life Community Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Washington opposes abortion (which he refers to as “Black genocide”). His stand is rooted in a conservative reading of biblical passages, which are quoted at length throughout his lucid and thought-provoking narrative. But the book lacks compelling evidence to support its claim that King, the inaugural recipient of Planned Parenthood’s Margaret Sanger Award, would oppose reproductive rights. Other chapters are less rooted in religious doctrine than they are in familiar, contemporary conservative tropes against “liberal elites,” Marxist educators who “brainwash” students with “racist critical race theory,” and other left-wing groups. Significant attention is also devoted to “the loss of America’s right to bear arms,” an ironic position given the author’s frequent evocation of King. Not only was an embrace of nonviolence central to King’s ideology, but he also frequently denounced activists, from Robert F. Williams to the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, who employed pro–Second Amendment rhetoric that centered on their right to an armed self-defense against White supremacists. Unfortunately, the volume’s research is deficient, drawing heavily on Wikipedia and the works of right-wing firebrands like Glen Beck and Dennis Prager. The account’s scant research fuels its shallow depictions of liberal and moderate views. Still, the fervent book will appeal to readers who share Washington’s conservative perspective.

A passionate but uneven exploration of King’s legacy.