I forgot where I read this but it has been said the killing of black revolutionaries allowed space for the likes of Chomsky.
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Found it:
The high perch from which Chomsky tells us how free we are was likely only vacant because state agents murdered all consequential Black leaders and squashed every other left-wing movement. In the ensuing years, white guys writing books supplanted visionaries with megaphones while the prison population grew.
White Supremacy and Magic Paper - Tarzie
https://ohtarzie.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/white-supremacy-and-magic-paper/
The whole article is an excellent read.