I am relieved and encouraged that NBA commissioner AdamSilver handed Donald Sterling a lifetime ban from the league. How that ban
plays out and whether Sterling will be forced to sell the Clippers and whether
the NBA will ever see any of the quarter of a million dollars Sterling has been
fined are all issues for another time, another discussion.
For now, I just want to comment on racism in America.
I hate to say it, but Mr. Sterling has done me a solid. For
decades, I have had to listen to white people tell me, "Thank God we're
past all that." For decades I have responded, "Racism hasn't stopped;
it's just gone underground." Sterling's despicable remarks to his mistress
have validated the point I have tried to make to my well-intentioned but very
naive white friends. Putting on the mask of acceptance and tolerance is not the
same thing—definitely NOT the same thing—as embracing diversity.
As the white mother of children who identify themselves as
black, I could tell you stories of racism and discrimination that would make
you feel the burn of shame, from the Bank of America employee who lied to my
son to keep him from opening a checking account to the smog inspector who asked
him if he stole his car to his boss (at his high paying white collar job in Los
Angeles) who suggested he 'stick to dating within his race' to the countless
cops who pulled him over for DWB. These aren't incidents that occurred in the
1950s or the 1960s. These experiences have all happened in the last twenty years.
Racist remarks by his boss are on-going and as recent as last week.
Of course, I have my own stories. White people who are close
to my age feel safe making bigoted comments for two reasons. Either they assume
I am going to be in agreement with them, or (and this is the more insidious of
the two) they assume that if I disagree, I will keep quiet about it.
Because this is what we do. We hear someone say something
and we may cringe, but in keeping with this facade that has us all 'going along
to get along,' we don't confront the person. We don't make a scene, we don't
accuse. We may keep our heads high and walk away but we fail to point the
finger and call a racist a racist. We stop short of embarrassing people. We
stop short of shaming them. And what a shame that is.
Thank you, Adam Silver, for not sweeping this under the rug,
for not using evasive language about this being a personnel matter or one the
league would deal with privately. Thank you for pointing the finger at the
exposed racist and saying with such great determination and fortitude, 'You,
sir, are a racist.' Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from your example.
