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Inside Conditions…Drums of the Serengeti

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AUBREY BRUCE

There is loud African drum line echoing throughout the sports world in regards to the racist remarks recently caught on tape of L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling.  In an audio recording released by TMZ the man believed to be Sterling questions his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, about her association with minorities. Stiviano who is Black and Mexican, posted a picture of herself with “Magic” Johnson on Instagram. That picture is no longer available for public viewing.
This is what was said by the man on the recording. “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with Black people. Do you have to? You can sleep with [Black people]. You can bring them in; you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that…and not to bring them to my games.”
Scoop Jackson wrote:  “Donald Sterling’s remarks show that although we’d like to think of sports as a haven from racism, it simply isn’t.” Has Scoop lost his ever lovin’ mind?  How many plantations have been havens from slavery?
What person Black or White living in 21st century America would consider professional sports as a “haven” from the institution of racism? Racism starts at the top, remember?  May I remind you of “voodoo economics” and the so-called “trickle down theory?” Let the lily white ownership make the bulk of the dough, and they might allow some to trickle down.  If I were “Mr. Scoop” I would read or refresh myself with the book “40 Million Dollar Slaves” written by the legendary New York Times sports columnist, Bill Rhoden. After that “Mr. Scoop” please report back to America if you continue to believe that the world of sports is a haven to protect anyone from the insidious institution of racism. As a matter-of-fact the “Ivory Tower” of sports is one of the most consistent perpetrators and “sanctuaries” of racial stereotypes and racial misperceptions.

“Blacks can play sports but don’t have the business savvy to run the business side of sports.” Until recently, the marquee position of the NFL quarterback was reserved for big slow White athletes with strong arms and pseudo152 I.Qs.  And as far as Black coaches and GM’s go, their paltry percentage of the workforce has been well documented for a very long time.  The only way that Blacks will be at least partially unshackled from the darkness of racism is not being better athletes at the quality positions, not gaining employment as team general managers or even owners.
The only genuine and sustained power that will ever be recognized by the global society is when Blacks become the owners of professional sports “leagues.”
A league that has the power to negotiate multi-billion dollar television and radio packages in conjunction with controlling the flow and process of advertising and merchandising. When Blacks own their own leagues, then they can begin to remove the lobster from their teeth with diamond encrusted toothpicks. Clippers Head Coach “Doc” Rivers said, “I don’t know if I’m surprised or not. I didn’t like the comments, obviously. We had a great team meeting this morning about it. A lot of guys voiced their opinions. None of them were happy about it. This is a situation where we’re trying to go after something very important for us. Something that we’ve all dreamed about all our childhoods. Donald or anyone else had nothing to do with that dream and we’re not going to let anything get in the way of those dreams.”
When he talked to Stephen A. Smith, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers had this to say,  “It’s a damn shame but a sad reality that we have people in the world who continue to further such ignorance. I would not want to play for him.”  When I talked with Kobe in 1996, I asked him if he had a preference as to what NBA team drafted him he said, “It’s my dream to play in the NBA, I don’t care who drafts me.” Well dreams sometimes change, I guess.  However, nightmares can only become worse.
If “Scoop” Jackson or anyone else thinks racism is on the wane, they are daydreaming.
(Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-583-6741.)

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