Adolph Reed on bell hooks, Cornell West, and other public black intellectuals

In "What Are the Drums Saying, Booker?: The Curious Role of the Black Public Intellectual" (pdf), Adolph Reed Jr. offers a critique of Cornel West, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Gloria Watkins (bell hooks), Michael Dyson, and Robin Kelley, but much of what he says naturally applies to their heirs. The title refers to old jungle movies in which white adventurers would turn to their trusted native guides and ask, "What are the drums saying?" The "Booker" refers to Booker T. Washington.

A few snippets:

“...