CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Somewhere along the timeline that began with Paul Robeson, followed by Jackie Robinson, and stretched to Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali, a pattern of disconnect developed between the black athlete and his community.
What was once commonplace has often been reduced to turkey giveaways, and sponsorship-induced, made-for-television opportunities. Let's be honest, foundations for many athletes are used to shuttle funds for tax breaks, or a way to put cousins on a legitimate payroll.
Back in the day, guys like Robeson, Robinson, Ali and Brown made it their business to help the underprivileged. They were also not afraid to make a public stand when it came to defending or supporting social issues.
It wasn't about charity, it was about helping those get some of the same opportunities as many others to improve themselves and their community. This was a time when athletes used their celebrity to help force social change to develop a better country.
But for many modern athletes, silence has become their gold.
It is easy to blame higher salaries for the modern athlete's choice to widen the gap between themselves and the communities where they once lived, but several factors attributed to the decline.
Once young children are identified with athletic prowess, the sports culture -- defined by the media, coaches, parents and leeches -- begins the process of telling athletes how they are different. Individualism is the new focus, and the only family is the sports family.
The media's role in this indoctrination comes in how it rewards athletes who are focused more on being an entertainer, than on speaking about social issues. Who cares about political views, or social change? Stay silent and just hit the damn ball. In many players' minds, speaking out could cost endorsement money.
Colleges add to the divide between athletes and the community by keeping their athletes away as much as possible from the rest of the student body with separate dorms and separate academic centers. Many college coaches discourage their student athletes from pledging fraternities, claiming the athletic department is all the fraternity they need.
There's also no sense of history among many current athletes when it comes to what so many conscientious athletes did before them, which leads into the excuse for many that they don't have to deal with the same issues as those before them.
Some of that is true, but there are plenty of issues within communities that could benefit from high-profile attention provided by athletes. What would happen if some of the top black athletes in the country made it their business to help stop gun violence? Or what would be the impact if several superstars led a campaign to encourage fathers to take a bigger role in the lives of their children?
There are and have been exceptions in recent years where black athletes have tried to make a change. In 2007, former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ira Newble spoke out against the genocide in Darfur. Former Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards developed a program where he helped 100 former eighth graders go to college. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and former NFL cornerback Reggie Howard belong to a group of athletes involved in various communities around the country promoting mentoring, family, education, and financial literacy.
And Miami Heat players, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, spoke out against the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin. In a show of solidarity, James posted a picture of all the Heat players wearing hoodies.
But these are the exceptions. The challenge is finding ways to get other athletes to engage. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, remains active. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Abdul-Jabbar the U.S. Cultural Ambassador for 2012. Abdul-Jabbar has written the children's book "What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors".
Abdul-Jabbar said we have to encourage athletes by reinforcing a sense of community. "It just takes a consciousness and an effort," he said.
That is easier said than done. Fear is also a driving force in the submissive behavior of many athletes. They can stand in the batter's box and not flinch when a fastball buzzes by, or in the boxing ring, take a 1-2 to the jaw without a second thought. But when it comes to continuing a legacy that made a positive imprint on so many lives, many of these modern gladiators choose to stand on the sidelines.
"These brothers have this warped idea that they've been given something," said Leonard Moore, history professor at the University of Texas. "Some of these guys are recruited to private schools in high school, and [this fear] starts right there. They're taught in many ways to stay quiet, just play ball, and make money because the system does reward that."
Maybe the sprinkle of conscientious athletes will help generate a flood of momentum, so the sacrifices made by many players from the past won't become ancient history.
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/06/where_are_the_black_athletes_w.html
What was once commonplace has often been reduced to turkey giveaways, and sponsorship-induced, made-for-television opportunities. Let's be honest, foundations for many athletes are used to shuttle funds for tax breaks, or a way to put cousins on a legitimate payroll.
Back in the day, guys like Robeson, Robinson, Ali and Brown made it their business to help the underprivileged. They were also not afraid to make a public stand when it came to defending or supporting social issues.
It wasn't about charity, it was about helping those get some of the same opportunities as many others to improve themselves and their community. This was a time when athletes used their celebrity to help force social change to develop a better country.
But for many modern athletes, silence has become their gold.
It is easy to blame higher salaries for the modern athlete's choice to widen the gap between themselves and the communities where they once lived, but several factors attributed to the decline.
Once young children are identified with athletic prowess, the sports culture -- defined by the media, coaches, parents and leeches -- begins the process of telling athletes how they are different. Individualism is the new focus, and the only family is the sports family.
The media's role in this indoctrination comes in how it rewards athletes who are focused more on being an entertainer, than on speaking about social issues. Who cares about political views, or social change? Stay silent and just hit the damn ball. In many players' minds, speaking out could cost endorsement money.
Colleges add to the divide between athletes and the community by keeping their athletes away as much as possible from the rest of the student body with separate dorms and separate academic centers. Many college coaches discourage their student athletes from pledging fraternities, claiming the athletic department is all the fraternity they need.
There's also no sense of history among many current athletes when it comes to what so many conscientious athletes did before them, which leads into the excuse for many that they don't have to deal with the same issues as those before them.
Some of that is true, but there are plenty of issues within communities that could benefit from high-profile attention provided by athletes. What would happen if some of the top black athletes in the country made it their business to help stop gun violence? Or what would be the impact if several superstars led a campaign to encourage fathers to take a bigger role in the lives of their children?
There are and have been exceptions in recent years where black athletes have tried to make a change. In 2007, former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ira Newble spoke out against the genocide in Darfur. Former Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards developed a program where he helped 100 former eighth graders go to college. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and former NFL cornerback Reggie Howard belong to a group of athletes involved in various communities around the country promoting mentoring, family, education, and financial literacy.
And Miami Heat players, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, spoke out against the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin. In a show of solidarity, James posted a picture of all the Heat players wearing hoodies.
But these are the exceptions. The challenge is finding ways to get other athletes to engage. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, remains active. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Abdul-Jabbar the U.S. Cultural Ambassador for 2012. Abdul-Jabbar has written the children's book "What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors".
Abdul-Jabbar said we have to encourage athletes by reinforcing a sense of community. "It just takes a consciousness and an effort," he said.
That is easier said than done. Fear is also a driving force in the submissive behavior of many athletes. They can stand in the batter's box and not flinch when a fastball buzzes by, or in the boxing ring, take a 1-2 to the jaw without a second thought. But when it comes to continuing a legacy that made a positive imprint on so many lives, many of these modern gladiators choose to stand on the sidelines.
"These brothers have this warped idea that they've been given something," said Leonard Moore, history professor at the University of Texas. "Some of these guys are recruited to private schools in high school, and [this fear] starts right there. They're taught in many ways to stay quiet, just play ball, and make money because the system does reward that."
Maybe the sprinkle of conscientious athletes will help generate a flood of momentum, so the sacrifices made by many players from the past won't become ancient history.
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/06/where_are_the_black_athletes_w.html