In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding Clipper's owner Donald Sterling, blogger Homeboy Sandman posted what seemed to be a missile assault on all people of colour, questioning the dignity and bravery of the Clippers' fans and team mates. He targets specifically black people, calling them "cowards" for not having more radical reactions in the face of adversity. He even goes as far as siding with Mr. Sterling saying, "In light of the recent decision by a professional basketball team, comprised of mostly black players, to respond to their boss basically saying “I hate niggers” by turning their shirts inside out the next day at work, I have come to the decision that I agree wholeheartedly with the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, and I too do not want black people invited to my events." The interesting thing about his blog rant is that Homeboy assumes the team mates and fans accept this racist behaviour when they attend the following game.
He continues to categorize, stereotype, and vilify people who continue to support the team. Well, here is my response to that. Donald Sterling does not make up the Clipper's team or association for that matter. You do not see him running down the courts, scoring three pointers, or even coaching the team. He is a real estate agent and business magnate who saw an opportunity to purchase the Clippers. He did not create the team, the most he has ever done is given donations and attended the games. What is disturbing about Homeboy's rambling pile of malarkey is that he adjust assumes that black people should just give up on the team, eradicate their loyalty, and punish the association. The only person who should be punished is Donald Sterling and the punishment should be swift and newsworthy. The one who should deliver the punishment is Magic Johnson, because of his personal affiliation with Mr. Sterling to the point where he could call him his friend. You can never predict a wolf in sheep's clothing, but you can strip them of their fur, which is what Magic is in the process of doing when he makes an attempt to purchase the team and reshape the morale.
It is better to encounter situations diplomatically rather than radically, because then we can actually learn to cooperate with each other and create more positive solutions. I cannot condone the Clippers reason for continuing, but I can respect their decision and call them brave for doing so. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of a broken stadium of fans who are at a loss for words and still continue playing. Ruby Bridges, the first black girl to attend an integrated school, did not stop attending, because rocks had been thrown at her, so why should any people of colour cower in the face of adversity. Even though Ms. Bridges had very different circumstances, the idea remains the same. As a black person, I can always expect to encounter some form of racism that I believe should be dealt with and this did not resonate with me until I watched Chris Rock's Kill The Messenger. In his bit on racism, he says that he can always expect it at any point and would not be surprised. I think we should not be surprised that it still exists today, but the surprise should come from our reactions to it. People are not brave when they react violently or radically, they are brave when they can learn to abandon their judgement and start the healing process of forgiveness.
To read the whole article: http://gawker.com/black-people-are-cowards-1568673014/+HomeboySandman
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