Uncle Tom Jalen Rose Grant Hill
Michael Wilbon has just written an excellent article on how Jalen Rose called Grant Hill an Uncle Tom in FAB five documentary and Grant Hill responding to those comments.
I think the most important comment in the article was trying to address the notion that there is one definition of "Blackness" is insidious and dangerous and too often promotes the notion that athletic achievement is "black" and academic achievement is "white.". For me this has significant factor in how black teens are 400% more likely to be unemployed then the average and 600% more likely to be in jail.
Instead of defending yourself against the term Uncle Tom black people should embrace it which is also something that Wilbon was doing in the article. The definition of Uncle Tom is a term for a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people. The reality is the majority of people in power are white, so majority of black peoples bosses are white, how do you not succeed in a job by not listening to your boss.
By creating a culture were black people biggest offence is to be labeled as being subservient to white people is a recipe for disaster and the statistics prove it in terms of unemployment and imprisonment.
There is another definition of "Uncle Tom" as being a sellout to the black race. What is the black race, do Jamaicans feel offended by being called an "Uncle Tom". I know Fijians don't, most people don't know what it means only that it is offensive. Biggest sellout I can say in not getting a job to provide for your kids or go to jail or live a lifestyle that is negative for your future generations. That is selling out your family which in turn means selling out your race. Not taking offense for label someone is giving you because you want to do better for yourself or family. By playing at Duke are black players doing better for themselves and their families then choosing a college like Michigan. I wonder how Rumeal Robinson would have turned out if he went to Duke.
The real problem is pride, when people take to much weight in language and should focus on reality of whats better for them and their family. But the first way to address this is to show how worthless some of these language is in which I think Wilborn has done in his article.
The podcast with which Jalen Rose talks about the documentary with bill simmons was interesting but I can't remember this topic being brought up. Only about the relationship that Jalen Rose had with his father.
I think the most important comment in the article was trying to address the notion that there is one definition of "Blackness" is insidious and dangerous and too often promotes the notion that athletic achievement is "black" and academic achievement is "white.". For me this has significant factor in how black teens are 400% more likely to be unemployed then the average and 600% more likely to be in jail.
Instead of defending yourself against the term Uncle Tom black people should embrace it which is also something that Wilbon was doing in the article. The definition of Uncle Tom is a term for a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people. The reality is the majority of people in power are white, so majority of black peoples bosses are white, how do you not succeed in a job by not listening to your boss.
By creating a culture were black people biggest offence is to be labeled as being subservient to white people is a recipe for disaster and the statistics prove it in terms of unemployment and imprisonment.
There is another definition of "Uncle Tom" as being a sellout to the black race. What is the black race, do Jamaicans feel offended by being called an "Uncle Tom". I know Fijians don't, most people don't know what it means only that it is offensive. Biggest sellout I can say in not getting a job to provide for your kids or go to jail or live a lifestyle that is negative for your future generations. That is selling out your family which in turn means selling out your race. Not taking offense for label someone is giving you because you want to do better for yourself or family. By playing at Duke are black players doing better for themselves and their families then choosing a college like Michigan. I wonder how Rumeal Robinson would have turned out if he went to Duke.
The real problem is pride, when people take to much weight in language and should focus on reality of whats better for them and their family. But the first way to address this is to show how worthless some of these language is in which I think Wilborn has done in his article.
The podcast with which Jalen Rose talks about the documentary with bill simmons was interesting but I can't remember this topic being brought up. Only about the relationship that Jalen Rose had with his father.
posted by George at 10:14 am
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