"Hate Crime Hoax" by Wilfred Reilly. A Review.

 

I am pretty sure it happens more often than we think. We pick up an article or book because it potentially confirms what we think may be the case. And then as we’re reading, we feel more established in our perspective. The trick is to think through the pros and cons of what we are reading, and especially so if we agree with many of the conclusions. That tactic takes a bit of self-restraint and self-control. I had to exercise such self-discipline as I worked my way through the 256-page hardback “Hate Crime Hoax: How the Left is Selling a Fake Race War”. The African American author, Wilfred Reilly, is assistant professor of Political Sciences at the historically black Kentucky State University, and has compiled a compelling sample list of highly reported hate crimes, weeding through the stories and investigations, and bringing out the conclusions of courts, police, confessions, etc. that exposed these incidents as hoaxes. He also shows that undergirding much of the sensational reporting and coverage arises from a presupposition of what he calls the “Continuing Oppression Narrative”.

 

The author begins from his own experience as a black professor at an historically black college. He lays out his own study of hundreds of reported hate crimes, and how many of them were later exposed as frauds. The reason he does this is because “false claims only undermine belief in actual hate crimes” (xiv). He moves on to explain how there is a “Continuing Oppression Narrative” that undergirds these hate crime hoaxes, and affects large sections of African American young adults, their attitudes toward serving in the military, engagement with Law Enforcement, and other vocations. As he says, “America’s opportunities are closed to them – not because of widespread racism, but because of their own erroneous belief in widespread racism” (xix).

 

The author’s concern is over a “well-entrenched grievance industry” (1) that rewards or pays off victimization (2-3). Therefore, he limits his focus to false hate crime allegations since these “have value because they provide support for the meta-narrative of majority group bigotry” (5). Thus, he launches into multiple chapters, rehearsing highly publicized hate crimes, showing how the ones he presents as sample cases were later exposed as bogus crimes. Interesting enough, Reilly makes the case that academic campuses are hotbeds for reported hate crimes. As I was reading through the chapters and stories, I found myself saying more and more, “Yes, I remember that episode. Oh, that’s how it ended. Now I understand why it didn’t stay on the front pages very long.” It’s a valuable volume.

 

As much as I found the book persuasive, I also noted some areas where the book was confusing, and places where the author could have made a stronger case to a larger audience. For example, by his own count, only 12-15 percent of reported hate crimes were hoaxes. And yet, throughout the work the author asserts that the “literal majority of these incidents” (xxii), and other characterizations along that line, were fake. Such as “between 15 and 50 percent of hate crime accusations are flatly false” (248). The only place where I saw ‘validation’ of the 50% valuation was when he  quotes an assertion by Ann Coulter. He then writes, “I would not go that far myself, but my strong suspicion is that at least half of college campus hate incident reports are fake” (252). He could have given important muscle to the work if he had taken the time to draw in further studies that confirmed the higher percentages.

 

Further, since his stated claim is that “false claims only undermine belief in actual hate crimes,” and his goal seems to be to push against those false claims so that real hate crimes are not thought of as phony. But it appears to me, that the author undermined his own intention. By the time one closes the book it feels like every reported hate crime is bogus. I’m guessing the author recounts some 40 incidents, and all are exposed as erroneous. Yet, if the author had recorded counter incidents of genuine hate crimes, describing the investigations, court decisions, etc., pointing out what valid hate crimes look like and how they can withstand examinations, it would have left a reader in a better place. As it is, all the examples only show themselves as counterfeits.

 

Even with my two stated concerns, I still recommend the work. “Hate Crime Hoax” is a helpful work, showing the importance of suspending judgment when a hate crime is reported, and patiently ensuring that the accusations are being validated. But also, recognizing that accusation does not automatically prove guilt. It’s an important book giving a different black voice to counter the “Continuing Oppression Narrative.”

For Black History Month 2023, this was one of three books I read by black authors. You can see my reviews of the others at: Michael Fortner an "Black Silent Majority" and Anthony Bradley "Faith in Society."