Race, Trust and the NBA

You all are now aware. Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was recently heard on a recording voicing his dislike for minorities, specifically black people.  The news spread like a wild fire on Saturday April 26th. Some people stated that the team should boycott the playoffs and others wanted the Clippers fans to stop going to the games.  It's a horrible situation, yet it's one which shouldn't be a surprise to many Americans across the nation.

I've written numerous blogs about race, one of those covered the Trayvon Martin incident; another was about professional golfer Sergio Garcia saying that he would invite Tiger Woods to his home and serve him chicken. Hey, it's not a mystery.. racism exists. It's the reason why we still have affirmative action in place; and it's the reason why we still celebrate Jackie Robinson Day at professional ballparks, in effort to address and educate people on a matter that's both sensitive and serious in nature.  So why shouldn't we expect this particular white man whose known to be a tightwadded miser and slum lord, and who also happens to date a young Black-Mexican woman (and I still don't quite understand that) to be anything other than one of strong racial opinion?  Is it because he owns a professional NBA team in a league that's comprised mainly of black men?  Of course not.  Like I said, this should not be new information.

Nope, I'm not surprised. However, I do have an issue with this secret recording stuff.  I mean, hey...I still haven't gotten over that whole Marion Barry matter. Yeah, you remember.. the Washington DC mayor who was invited to his jumpoff's hotel room for dinner and a side order of crack cocaine just before the door got kicked open by federal agents.  And what did Barry say?  I quote, "this is entrapment...that (chick) set me up." Now, should we have a mayor, or any public official, who spends his spare time with jumpoffs and crack cocaine?  Of course not.  But isn't that just the way that a lot of  relationships are nowadays? There's simply an abundant amount of deceitful behavior.. from both men and women.

So who is this woman who secretly recorded the super-racist Donald Sterling?  And how is it that a Black-Mexican woman dates a racist man who she knows dislikes blacks and other minorities and still spends her ever-diminishing time on earth around such an egotistical old goat?  Is it the money?  Of course it was the money. But how do you decide that okay, if I record him talking about black people (a race of which I just so happen to be) that I might expose him for who is although  I might be spoiling that planned trip to Europe?  Couldn't you have taken your stand prior to this secret recording? Because surely he didn't know that he was confessing to the world something which was told under the trusted seal of relationship confidentiality.  I mean, how are we to know that our significant other doesn't record us on a regular basis. Damn smartphones!  Well.. how do we know that there isn't a presence of deceit in our own bed? Because we trust them?  Because we love them so much?  We all say confidential things in private. You know, those never repeated discussions about our best friends or our bosses or our family members.  How are we to know that those things aren't ever going to be repeated?

Surely, I could be looking at this all wrong.  I mean, God could have been using a common person as herself to do something for a greater good just as he used common folks like Moses and Esther to do His will during the good Old Testament times.  But still, why use deceit to resolve an issue for which you were not bold enough to address personally. Could you not see that he was a racist prick over those stacks of 1,000 dollar bills?  Oh, I'm sorry...I mean stacks of $5,000 dollar bills.   Shiiiit.. I hope the prick Sterling gets what he deserves; he definitely had it coming to him one way or the other.  I also hope that she gets prosecuted for illegally recording another human-being. Hopefully, she'll just get a slap on the wrist; but still, a conviction would keep others from conveniently whipping out their phones and pressing the record button.

My advice to Donald's boo thang and to anyone else who has a quick recording hand?  Just tell me how you feel to my face.  And oh yeah, put that freakin' cellphone on the table where I can see it.

Why Young Black Males Don't Care About Education

It's true.  Black males don't have the interest as they once did in regards to receiving an education. Well, there are exceptions, such as young Kwasi Enin (he's the one pictured). Elin has been accepted to every university on the planet... at least, that's how it seems.

Still, it's reported that females make up nearly 60% of college classrooms. If you break down that percentage by race, it's reported that black males only make up 6% of college students age 18 and up. That's a staggering number.  During the early part of the millennium it was reported that there were more black males in the penitentiary system than there were in colleges and universities. Although true at one time (actually, that was the case during more years than one), it is no longer the case at the moment. The numbers do remain quite close though.

Now, I am an advocate for anyone who has an entrepreneurship spirit to assert themselves in the economic system of capitalism.  If a young person chooses not go to college because he/she has other reasonable and legit means of acquiring income then I say do you.  The problem lies in that black males are so caught-up in the New American Dream that it's too late when they discover that what they've been chasing the whole time was actually unreachable.

What is the New American Dream, you say? Well, it's very different from the "American Dream" of the early 1900s.  You see, the old American Dream dealt with an extreme desire for home ownership, and wanting your children to receive not only a good education but a career without artificial barriers. A healthy global vision was also an important part of that American Dream belief. Sure the old Dream had it's fallacies, such as "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" (which is funny in itself) being that obstacles were purposely placed in the way of blacks thus preventing them from getting ahead in life. But still, the chances of obtaining the old American Dream were practical.

Things have changed over the years.  The New American Dream is substantially different.  In fact, it's far more self-centered.  Other than an utmost love of self, there is also a desire for obtaining means in a simplified and quicker fashion. Why work hard day after day when all I have to do is stay here on this corner and let the drug fiends come to me?  Why do I have to save up for retirement when I know that my lottery number is gonna hit? Why do I have to seek out agents when all I have to do is upload my video on YouTube? Why do I have to go through four years of college when all I gotta do is try out for the NBA after my first year of school? Why do I need to go out and find a job when I got momma or my boo thang paying the rent and light bill?

It's true; we can get through life without a quality education. There are several rich and famous singers, actors and athletes who have proved that very point.  People forget, however, that furthering your education not only increases your career opportunities, it also increases your overall quality of life. The stories are plentiful of millionaire athletes and lottery winners who end up broke after a short period of time.  It's just another example of new money not making people better human beings.

My advice, young black men... Don't get yourselves caught up in the New American Dream.  Either spend your days thinking of that next big entrepreneurial break-though while you're relaxing on your lunch break, or pick up a few classes at the local college or university with the goal of jump-starting your intrinsic talents.  Sure, there's always someone who wins the big bucks on that one in 175 million lottery chance; but still.... it's a freakin' one in 175 million lottery chance!