The NBA has fined Kobe Bryant, in the amount of $100,000, for using an anti-gay slur during a game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. Bryant's half-hearted apology, in which he claims his words "should not be taken literally", should not get him out of this one. The National Basketball Association has exercised good judgment in penalizing the superstar athlete for his offense against a referee, in an attempt to demonstrate intolerance of such behavior. The decision to fine Bryant has surely avoided an uproar from gay rights organizations, so far.
What we should all be wondering, though, is how efficiently the association deals with the offensive and discriminative homophobic behavior that is not observed by the public.
John Amaechi, an openly homosexual former NBA player, made valid points in his recent contribution to the New York Times. Amaechi writes, "I challenge you to freeze-frame Bryant's face in that moment of conflict with the referee Bennie Adams. Really examine the loathing and utter contempt, and realize this is something with which almost every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender person is familiar. That is the sentiment people face in middle and high schools, in places of worship, work, and even in their own homes across the United States." Bryant has decided to appeal the fine, proving his insensitivity and unapologetic attitude. The $100,000 fine is the equivalent of a slap on the wrist for the multi-millionaire athlete, especially since he has failed to make a decent apology. In the same article, Amaechi goes on to say, "I don't think Kobe Bryant is ome vicious homophobe, but I do think he made a mistake". Considering that fact that each word that comes out of a person's mouth is preceded by a conscious thought to say it, I cannot logically agree with Amaechi. The nation, especially the LGBT community, is waiting to see what comes of this. If Bryant successfully avoids paying the small fine for his significantly offensive behavior, what precedent will the NBA have set?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
From my letter to my college's newspaper, Tech Times, in response to a ridiculous article
This is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to the editor of Springfield Tech. Community College's publication, Tech Times. I never received a response and it was not published. The letter was a response to an article in which the journalism student (who is an African-American) claims she never dealt with racism before attending an educational institution with a significant Black student population:
The question of whether reverse racism exists does require careful consideration of the various complexities of race relations in America. The reality of racism against minorities cannot be disputed, however. Members of minority groups can argue that what is perceived as racism toward the majority is actually self-consciousness and obsessive self-defense, due to the prevalence of racial inequality, injustice, and oppression. Can you blame them for feeling the way they do?
Throughout the history of this nation, minorities, not just African Americans, have been treated in a deplorable manner. Yes, the civil rights movement (which was not long ago) did produce certain laws that have drastically improved the lives of minorities, but racist attitudes still permeate every institution of the United States. Yes, slavery is over but African Americans are still playing catch-up in a society that was built on the backs of their ancestors and not developed for them to succeed. Recent sociological surveys show that America still has a long way to go before minorities are actually treated as equal to the majority. Can you blame minorities for noticing this in their daily lives and responding to it?
The article Black vs. White victimizes a historically racist majority and points an accusing finger at African Americans who have been conditioned to not only notice their racial difference but limited in their access to the American dream by that difference. While I do see the need for an erasure of the race lines that separate and confine us, I feel the majority is responsible for erasing the lines it has created.
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The question of whether reverse racism exists does require careful consideration of the various complexities of race relations in America. The reality of racism against minorities cannot be disputed, however. Members of minority groups can argue that what is perceived as racism toward the majority is actually self-consciousness and obsessive self-defense, due to the prevalence of racial inequality, injustice, and oppression. Can you blame them for feeling the way they do?
Throughout the history of this nation, minorities, not just African Americans, have been treated in a deplorable manner. Yes, the civil rights movement (which was not long ago) did produce certain laws that have drastically improved the lives of minorities, but racist attitudes still permeate every institution of the United States. Yes, slavery is over but African Americans are still playing catch-up in a society that was built on the backs of their ancestors and not developed for them to succeed. Recent sociological surveys show that America still has a long way to go before minorities are actually treated as equal to the majority. Can you blame minorities for noticing this in their daily lives and responding to it?
The article Black vs. White victimizes a historically racist majority and points an accusing finger at African Americans who have been conditioned to not only notice their racial difference but limited in their access to the American dream by that difference. While I do see the need for an erasure of the race lines that separate and confine us, I feel the majority is responsible for erasing the lines it has created.
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