(ThyBlackMan.com) Numerous recent articles have attacked LeBron James for his failure to engage in protests in support of Tamir Rice, a youth murdered by police officers who was acquitted of any charges. These responsibilities are unfair, due to Mr. James’ profession as athlete, entertainer, and coon.
Commentators on such articles are looking for an unconscious entertainer to be a spokesperson for disenfranchised African Americans. LeBron James is a high-paid Clydsdale slave whose earning ability for his ‘masters’ provides him with wealth and privileges, distorting the fact of him still being an employee who will be terminated if his earning ability declines.
Modern African American athletes are coons, smiling and dancing for their daily bread. Their coonery increases profits for themselves and the multibillion-dollar corporations they slave for. Professional sports are modern slavery in which glorified disposable commodities are compensated until they are no longer profitable. Research the last days of Patrick Ewing, when the Knicks traded their once-valuable franchise player because his broken body was no longer profitable. This high-priced industry has African American
brutes flown around the country like a circus act to perform in front of predominately white audiences. Is it not unfair to ask a house nigga to speak out against his master, who provides him privileges denied the field workers?
Modern athletes are not befriending social activists, as Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Muhammad Ali did. Those men were socially active and outspoken during the height of their careers, risking their careers for their beliefs. The company of modern athletes consists of other uninformed entertainers whose message is detrimental to the plight and image of African Americans, like Jay-Z, P. Diddy or Lil Wayne. The NBA has no tolerance for its workhorses speaking out against injustice or standing firm in their beliefs that are counter to the image of the happy athlete the NBA wants to present to the world. Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf exemplify what occurs to rebellious slaves. Hodges was banned after writing a letter to President Bush in 1992, expressing dissatisfaction with the administration’s treatment of the minorities and disenfranchised of America. Abdul-Rauf refused to show patriotism to the American flag during the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, viewing such actions as hypocritical due to America’s terroristic acts in the Middle East during the ‘90s. Both actions resulted in the end of their promising careers.
To these commentators hidden behind aliases, writing their uneducated opinion on why an entertainer is not leading the vanguard for the improvement of the plight of African Americans: I ask them, what are they doing and are they risking their careers for the betterment of their people? I am tired of social media activists who are so bold behind glowing screens, posting memes on racism or racist quotes against White Americans as if they are assisting. Yet these same internet activists are subservient in their own 9-5 jobs, failing to speak up for themselves or against injustices in their own lives.
Why have we allowed America to groom us to look to uneducated, uninformed, immature athletes or entertainers to be leaders of our communities? LeBron James is a ‘legend’ at his craft of being an athlete/entertainer. I am almost certain he is unaware of the negative effect his career has on the African American community by leading youth to believe they can replicate the path or career of LeBron James. There are over 7 billion people on earth and there is only one LeBron James. However, the powers that be make disenfranchised youth feel they can be one also, leading them down a road of hopelessness, ignorance, and disappointment.
At the same time, the adults in our community must refrain from reactionary speeches and marches when injustices are done. Instead we should engage in preventive actions. Yes, police can handle situations differently, but reality is they are not, so we must groom our children on what not to do to minimize the possibility that they will become a victim of trigger-happy police officers. There is not enough responsibility in the African American community for our failures as parents and leaders of our youth, deflecting the responsibility on governments, educators, or police forces who do not care whether we live or die.
Though it would be nice if LeBron James engaged in some form of social activism to shine light on the injustice African Americans face, it truly is unfair to ask a ‘house slave’ to do the work of a freedom fighter.
Staff Writer; Linton Hinds Jr.
Official website; http://Livity.info/
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