Jive talking.

Like Jesse Jackson when it comes to politics, Charles Barkley has been the go to guy on matters of race when it attaches itself to sports for white folks here in America.


This is sad, because it speaks to the frivolous and shallow nature of the understanding of racial issues in America by the Majority population.


Charles Barkley is nothing more than a clown and a buffoon. He is a guy who subjects himself to ridicule by participating in the most vulgar display of abject coonery on a regular basis for the entertainment of his white audience.


Watching him shuck and jive with his fellow studio hosts (who are not much better) during those NBA telecasts is always painful to watch. But at least we know that he is there to shuck and jive. When he attempts to get serious and speak on matters of race it is cringe worthy and embarrassing.


Not to white folks, of course, but to any black person in America who views the issue of race as more than just a sound bite on the radio about "unintelligent" blacks bringing the rest of us down.


Sir Charles made this grand pronouncement recently after stories surfaced that the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks was acting too white for some of his black teammates. (A story we still can't verify since the alleged sources of the story remains anonymous.)


And let me get this out of the way right now: If this is in fact true, the black players in that locker room who made such an ignorant statement are just as ignorant as Charles Barkley.


You can knock Russell Wilson for how he is playing on Sundays, but not how he acts off the field, or the way he speaks or chooses to carry himself.


For the record, I am quite sure that most black people in America would agree with that position.


But back to Charles.


He could have simply stated his opposition to what some of those Seahawks players allegedly said the way I just did, but he did not. Instead he chose to declare that ignorant and "unintelligent" blacks are holding the rest of us back.


This of course is ironic coming from a man who needs English sub-titles when he speaks on television. There are times when I wonder if this worldly college educated man who has made millions of dollars in his life actually left Leeds, Alabama.


Just trying to listen to him talk is a struggle, and yet he has the nerve to call other blacks "unintelligent." Now if that ain't the pot calling the kettle black. (Pun intended)


Sadly he is allowed. Because like the Larry Riley character in A Soldier's Story, C.J. Memphis, Sir Charles is the kind of Negro that gives certain whites comfort. He fits the stereotype of the cooning barely literate jokester, who is not afraid to call out his own and say things that the white man wishes he could without repercussions. He will always have the microphone in front of him to speak on racial issues, because what he says will never be viewed as uncomfortable to certain people.


Sir Charles won't talk about the reason that blacks in places like Ferguson, Missouri are "unintelligent". He won't talk about the dysfunctional families and a lack of a proper education that creates generational poverty. And he certainly will not talk about a political system in place that's meant to keep things just the way they are.


So what does he do? He bemoans the fact that they are holding the rest of us back.


I will close by telling Charles Barkley what Adolph Caesar's character told C.J. Memphis in A Soldier's Story:


 "Whole lot of people just can’t seem to fit in to where things seem to be going. Like you, CJ. See, the Black race can’t afford you no more. There used to be a time, we’d see someone like you singin’, clownin’, yassuh-bossin’… and we wouldn’t do anything. Folks liked that. You were good. Homey kind of nigger. When they needed somebody to mistreat, call a name or two, they paraded you. Reminded them of the good old days. Not no more. The day of the Geechee is gone, boy. And you’re going with it. "     


Poor Charles. If he would only do a little introspection he would realize that he is closer to all those Negroes that he likes to complain about than the rest of us.   






  


  
     


        






   
 

The second time around for Hank.

Hank, I told you that this was going to happen. If you think you got the business from the racists in America when you were chasing the Babe's record, wait until you hear from this new crop of bigots.




"The Atlanta Braves received a bevy of angry, racist letters this week after an interview baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron did with USA Today.


A few days ago, Aaron, the senior vice president of the Braves, told USA Today:


 “Sure, this country has a black president, but when you look at a black president, President Obama is left with his foot stuck in the mud from all of the Republicans with the way he’s treated. We have moved in the right direction, and there have been improvements, but we still have a long ways to go in the country. The bigger difference is that back then they had hoods. Now they have neckties and starched shirts.”


That set off a firestorm of mail to the Braves, including a letter from someone named Edward. (USA Today only referred to those who sent letters by their first names.) The letter, which included racial epithets, said: “Hank Aaron is a scumbag piece of s—.”


“The Braves have been besieged by hundreds of letters, e-mails and phone calls deriding Aaron for comments he made to USA TODAY Sports,” the newspaper said. Sportswriter Bob Nightengale continued: 

Marion calls Aaron a “racist scumbag.” Ronald won’t attend another Braves game until Aaron is fired. Mark calls Aaron a “classless racist.” David says that he will burn Aaron’s I Had A Hammer autobiography.
Sheer racism, exposed in vile letters directed to Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, have poured into the Atlanta Braves offices over the past week."  [Source]

The irony is, of course, that *buy(by) showing their ignorance and bigotry they are confirming everything that Aaron said in his interview. "Racism? There is no racism. That is a thing of the past in America you trouble making, Nigger."




I give Aaron credit; he had to have known that he was going to open Pandora's box by going down this road. Telling the truth about racism is never going to be popular with certain people. My inbox reminds me of that fact every day.




Finally, I rarely do this, but I am going to try and give my right-wing friends some advice:




If you are serious about reaching out to African American, stop treating the same recycled black leaders who have been propped up by the main stream media as our official spokespeople.




Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson stopped being relevant to most black folks years ago. Yet you people on the right just won't let them go as your racial bogeymen.




Unfortunately Don Lemon took the bait, hopefully he learned his lesson.


 

The rise and fall of Jesse, Jr.

It's sad to see yet another black politician convicted of violating the public trust and misleading the American people.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, and his wife, Sandi, was given a year.

That's a big fall for a guy who was sitting on top of the world and who was a great politician and rising star in the Democratic Party.

 "I misled the American people....I also want to apologize to my dad and my mother," Jackson said, wiping away tears. "I take responsibility for my actions and I'm very sorry for what I have done..."   

You should be, Jesse. Hopefully you will take this time to reflect on all the good you could have done for your community instead of being locked away on our dime.

Unfortunately what Jesse Jackson did is not that unusual for a politrickster.  Sadly, but for the double standards in American life, many others would be under the same type of scrutiny.

Take, for instance, Bob McDonnell, the governor of Virginia.

"Question: How is it that the Governor of Virginia hasn’t been indicted on corruption charges?

Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell has been quick to remind everyone that “he hasn’t broken any state laws” as revelation after revelation has come out (none of which he has denied…) on an endless number of undisclosed “gifts” from a rich businessman.  Nothing was “wrong” under the law, but then — whoops — he then repaid the millionaire businessman.  It appears clear, as it has for months, that the Governor violated state law by not disclosing the gifts.

 The repayments the Governor has now made include $52,278.17 for a “loan” to the Governors wife in 2011 and $71,837.00 for two other “loans” in 2012 as well as $15,000 to pay for the wedding of McDonnell’s daughter.  That transaction had McDonnell’s signature on it.  Will McDonnell repay the $53,000 a lawyer protecting him in this fiasco billed Virginia? No word on that yet.

Additionally, the governor’s wife spent money from the governor’s PAC at Nordstom’s and Bergdorf-Goodman.  Sounds a lot like what former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr’s wife Sandi was prosecuted for doesn’t it?  Is the U.S. Attorney in Richmond asleep? The Governor has received $120,000 in trips and gifts from a business man he then did a big favor for.  The Governor hosted a product endorsement event at the the Governor’s mansion. What else has to happen for there to be an indictment?" [More]

Oh I know I know. *raising hand* Get a tan and an Afro wig?