Fact check: Who coined the term "black fatigue" and in what context?

1. Summary of the results

The term "black fatigue" has multiple origins and meanings that evolved over time. The earliest documented usage traces back to 2015 on 4chan's /pol/ board, where it was used negatively to express white people's supposed exhaustion with Black people ^[1]. The term was later significantly redefined in 2020 by Mary-Frances Winters in her book "Black Fatigue," where she used it to describe Black people's exhaustion from experiencing racism and microaggressions ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are worth noting:

• The term has been used in opposing ways by different groups - one describing white people's reactions to Black Lives Matter ^[2], and another describing Black people's experiences with systemic racism ^[1]
• There is a related academic term called "racial battle fatigue," coined by William A. Smith in 2003, which describes psychological and physiological stress responses experienced by racially oppressed groups in academic settings ^[3]
• Jason Whitlock has discussed the term in the context of social media and perceived negative behaviors, though he did not coin it ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself assumes there is a single origin and context for the term, which is misleading. The term has:

• Different origins depending on the context and community using it
• Been appropriated and redefined by different groups for different purposes
• Been used both as a tool for expressing anti-Black sentiment (4chan usage) and for describing the Black experience with racism (Winters' usage)

Those benefiting from different interpretations include:

• Academic publishers and authors like Mary-Frances Winters, who have published works using the term
• Social media commentators like Jason Whitlock, who gain attention by discussing controversial interpretations of the term
• Online communities that use the term to express racial grievances