Michael Brooks shown with Dr. Cornel West. Photo: Instagram.
Dear Comrades,
I’m sure everyone has now had time to digest and begin the grieving process over our dear brother Michael Brooks’ sudden passing. I, like many who digested his content or got to know him in any capacity, am devastated by this great loss to the left, as one of our clearest voices has now gone silent, right as he had begun to find his pitch.
What was so great about Michael, was his ability to breakdown, explain, then synthesize many complex political issues, domestic and international, into one flexible, yet firm, political foundation anchored on radical humanism and solidarity-based struggle.
His ability to cultivate and actively maintain many relationships and friendships at once was sincere and refreshing.
Finally his dedication to internationalism which is essential for the future success of this new anti-capital left in the United States.
These were three of the many brilliant qualities Michael Brooks brought to this world. One you could argue didn’t deserve Michael.
In a world obsessed with distractions and personal cancelation, Michael was on the rooftops shouting down a mob-mentality forming in leftist circles. Michael had so much to offer us, yet I look back to his final months, many of which was consumed by making a defense against this amped up cancel-culture. This is something that, now looking back at him talking about it now, frustrated Michael so much.
The systems and institutions in place are ruthless to all the people, and more insensitive than any Boomer’s twitter thread. Yet we spend so much time ridiculing people with so little power and little time attacking the systems that control the working poor.
Michael, to me, was a political father figure, the needle in my life’s political compass. He was my Lula, the one who you point to and go, “that’s the one, he’s one of the most important people in the movement.”
I don’t think he understood the impact he had on people like me. And what’s so sad about his unexpected passing is the fact that there were millions of other young people around the world, who were ready to digest Michael’s content in the way I did, but now won’t get the chance to experience this man in real time, week to week, lesson to lesson. They have to look at him in retrospect, in the history books. I only messaged back and forth with Michael for a short amount of time before his passing.
I only found him on the Majority Report two and a half years ago. But since then, I’ve evolved and grown politically more than I could’ve ever imagined before. My eyes have been opened up to a whole new world, quite literally.
So it is with utter heartbreak and honor that I write this tribute to my mentor, my hero and most importantly, my friend, Michael Jamal Brooks. And as I’ve heard former co-worker Jamie Peck coin, “See you in the fun half, comrade.”
Stay strong brothers and sisters.
In solidarity, Brady Crosby.
