October 16, 2020

Amazon Censors a Black Conservative

Shelby Steele’s new documentary debunks a popular leftist narrative, so he must be silenced.

Amazon is known as “The Everything Store,” and for good reason: There just aren’t a lot of things we can’t buy from the online retail colossus. A box of bacon-strip bandages, a mini jail cell for our mobile phones, even a harness and leash for our beloved pet chicken.

Yep, the online retail juggernaut will sell us just about anything. Anything, that is, except a new documentary by esteemed scholar, author, and Hoover Institution senior fellow Shelby Steele. Apparently, Steele’s film, “What Killed Michael Brown?” falls short of Amazon’s “quality expectations.”

Quality expectations? Right. This from a company that sells toilet paper with President Donald Trump’s face on it, and, even worse, sells the autobiography of Hanoi Jane Fonda. But a film that thoughtfully explores the truth behind one of the most racially charged and consequential news stories of the decade? A story that began the fictitious “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative that even Barack Obama’s Justice Department debunked? A story that was the catalyst for starting Black Lives Matter? That’s a bridge too far.

Steele’s film, which he wrote and narrated, and which his son Eli directed, “doesn’t fit the dominant narrative of white police officers killing young black men because of systemic racism,” writes the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board. “As a result, says the younger Mr. Steele, Amazon rejected it for its streaming service. ‘We were canceled, plain and simple.’”

The film speaks “plain truths,” as reviewer Jason Riley writes, but it isn’t one-sided. Al Sharpton has his say, as does the NAACP. That’s not good enough for the cowardly censors at Amazon, though, who informed the Steeles via email “that their film is ‘not eligible for publishing’ because it ‘doesn’t meet Prime Video’s content quality expectations.’ Amazon went on to say it ‘will not be accepting resubmission of this title and this decision may not be appealed.’”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post and whose net worth is now just over $200 billion, may think he has a license not only to print money, but also to gag renowned scholars and social commentators like Shelby Steele. He should think better. Censorship is cowardice, Jeff. If you’re afraid of a physical fight, you run. If you’re afraid of an intellectual fight, you censor.

Longtime civil rights activist and community development champion Robert Woodson tweeted out a novel idea: “Amazon refused to stream Shelby Steele’s documentary, ‘What Killed Michael Brown?,’ b/c they say it ‘doesn’t meet Prime Video’s content quality expectations.’ Why not let Americans decide for themselves if the film has merit?”

Indeed, we’re adults. Why not let us decide?

“It’s sadly telling about elite political conformity,” the Journal’s editors continue, “that an intelligent film that gives voice to a variety of people, almost all black, who would otherwise not be heard is somehow deemed unfit for polite company. As Eli Steele puts it, ‘When Amazon rejected us they also silenced these voices and that is the great sin of a company that professes to be diverse and inclusive.’”

Perhaps there’s something more insidious at work here, something that Amazon’s speech stiflers have yet to think through. Their claim about the inferior quality of Steele’s work is ridiculous; he’s an award-winning author and filmmaker. So their refusal to allow him into their marketplace of ideas is about something else entirely.

Steele isn’t a bomb-thrower, but he is a black conservative. As such, he’s what former Democrat President and “Great Society” architect Lyndon Johnson might’ve called “uppity.” And Amazon’s efforts to silence him sounds awfully intolerant, even Jim Crow-ish. This here streamin’ service is for members only … boy.

Shelby Steele’s ideas pose a mortal threat to the Left’s most loyal voting constituency. And he’s being denied access to Amazon’s marketplace either because of the color of his skin or the content of his character.

Neither reason is legitimate, but both are bigoted.


Update: After a backlash of negative attention, Amazon has reversed itself and Steele’s work is now trending under “Most Wished For in Documentary.”

Who We Are

The Patriot Post is a highly acclaimed weekday digest of news analysis, policy and opinion written from the heartland — as opposed to the MSM’s ubiquitous Beltway echo chambers — for grassroots leaders nationwide. More

What We Offer

On the Web

We provide solid conservative perspective on the most important issues, including analysis, opinion columns, headline summaries, memes, cartoons and much more.

Via Email

Choose our full-length Digest or our quick-reading Snapshot for a summary of important news. We also offer Cartoons & Memes on Monday and Alexander’s column on Wednesday.

Our Mission

The Patriot Post is steadfast in our mission to extend the endowment of Liberty to the next generation by advocating for individual rights and responsibilities, supporting the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and promoting free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. We are a rock-solid conservative touchstone for the expanding ranks of grassroots Americans Patriots from all walks of life. Our mission and operation budgets are not financed by any political or special interest groups, and to protect our editorial integrity, we accept no advertising. We are sustained solely by you. Please support The Patriot Fund today!


The Patriot Post and Patriot Foundation Trust, in keeping with our Military Mission of Service to our uniformed service members and veterans, are proud to support and promote the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, both the Honoring the Sacrifice and Warrior Freedom Service Dogs aiding wounded veterans, the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, the Folds of Honor outreach, and Officer Christian Fellowship, the Air University Foundation, and Naval War College Foundation, and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

★ PUBLIUS ★

“Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!” —George Washington

Please join us in prayer for our nation — that righteous leaders would rise and prevail and we would be united as Americans. Pray also for the protection of our Military Patriots, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Please lift up your Patriot team and our mission to support and defend our Republic's Founding Principle of Liberty, that the fires of freedom would be ignited in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

The Patriot Post is protected speech, as enumerated in the First Amendment and enforced by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, in accordance with the endowed and unalienable Rights of All Mankind.

Copyright © 2024 The Patriot Post. All Rights Reserved.

The Patriot Post does not support Internet Explorer. We recommend installing the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome.