An Uncle Tom, a Fab Five and a Sports Writer Walk Into a Bar...

Was Grant Hill an "Uncle Tom?" Was Jalen Rose the poster-boy for what is wrong in Black America? Is Chris Broussard the "Black Ambassador?" Perhaps, and perhaps not...

On ESPN's 1st and Ten yesterday, NBA columnist, Chris Broussard responded to a two decade old comment made by Former NBA player and analyst Jalen Rose about his one time adversary Grant Hill. The comment, in which Rose called Hill an "Uncle Tom," for deciding to play at Duke University, has resurfaced in a new documentary about Rose's time playing in college at Michigan. Broussard used this opportunity exclaim his own interpretation of the situation and its reflection of larger Black American issues.
Broussard was a little "tiradical" in the clip. Sure, some of his points were right on, but he does not touch base on the whole truths. The debate over what is Black is an old one. My answer was always congruent with De La Soul's: "Black is Black."

A huge and complicated issue indeed, Broussard seems to get lost in his passion. Is he attacking the history and institutions that enslaved and oppressed Black people and planted the seeds of doubt in self worth? Is he attacking Black people? Is he attacking white people? He attacks rappers... Rappers that he usually gives dap to in the public forum as setting poor examples, but he doesn't attack the record companies that create and sign off on the image and message of these rappers. Why is that? Is Broussard an... "UNCLE TOM?"

I'm joking of course, and some of his examples do support his analysis, but not as thoroughly when you look at their entire circumstances. For instance, Broussard mentions the Cosby show and people's criticism of it not representing "Real" Black people. While the landmark television show may have represented some Black Americans, and certainly what we are all capable of, which created a positive image, it did not represent the life of most Black Americans. When one takes into consideration the status that the show went on to achieve in reaching people on a massive scale, world-wide, it is also viable to conclude that it helped many White Americans and foreigners develop an idea that we indeed did live in a "post-racial society" where Blacks were doing great. This of course was completely untrue for 90 percent of Black people in the early and mid 1980's.

I'm not knocking Broussard's effort to enlighten his viewers to his passion for the need of Black people to move past their identity and self-esteem problems, however, he doesn't talk about the exterior forces that perpetuate these problems. In addition, he goes on to comment about how brothas' who go to prison or who aren't there for their kids are the "real" race traitors, because they perpetuate negative stereotypes about the race...

Again, Broussard forgets to discuss the ramifications of living in a society whose institutions and basic socio-economic model have prevented universal upward mobility for its former slaves. With no other options, "Black" market economies become necessary to survival... Not to mention the fact that many Black men who receive prison sentences do so at far higher and more severe rate than their white counterparts. I could run down the statistics of Black economic power in America, or lack thereof, but most educated and integrated people recognize that American diversity concerning economic success is still "token" based. The rest of you feel free to make some more some minority friendships for more info (and that includes with women).

Personally, I understand why Rose made these comments... It was a period of great racial anxiety and division in America (not that we are ever two feet out of that door). He came from the inner city having nothing and watched these very select Black kids being let into what he considered to be the "all white club." Duke is a historical wealthy and racist institution.. It's hard to imagine these players at Michigan not having some real thoughts about Black kids choosing to play at Duke. Does this make Grant Hill an Uncle Tom? No. Was Jalen Rose wrong to say it? No. Don't the poor and under-privileged have an innate right to criticize the wealthy in any society that accepts extreme inequality? Isn't the price of being one of "The Haves" to deal with it?

Regardless, Broussard was not careful. When you have a soap box from which to reach a great many people, especially when acting as a spokesperson for your race, it is important to think about how your words (and the ones you omit) with impact others, not just how you hope they will. Broussard speaks from his heart and I respect that, but he is far more dangerous that Jalen Rose, because his diagnosis and his conclusions are half developed, whereas Jalen's were simply immature.

And that's how you know Chris Broussard is a sports writer talking about race and not a social scientist writing about sports.


Original video link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6224395