A Troubling Trend

Interracial profiling

While trying to promote an upcoming fight, Bernard Hopkins called out Washington Redskins’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. Hopkins said, “He’s got a suntan. That’s all. McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is in the field.” A slave reference to plantation living? Why?

This isn’t the first time, nor the last I’m sure, that Hopkins has called out other people regarding their abilities due to the color, or lack there of, of their skin. Hopkins also said that Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino boxer, would not be able to beat a black boxer with inner city ability. Not just a black boxer, but one with an inner city background.

Leading up to his April 19, 2008 fight against Joe Calzaghe, Hopkins said, “I’ll never let a white boy beat me.” Hopkins would lose that fight in a decision to Calzaghe, a white fighter.

I will not try to speculate on Hopkins' thought process but it is obvious that he is prejudice against others, even other African Americans or he is willing to say any stupid thing that pops in his head to get attention. Hopkins is an inner city boxer from Philadelphia. At the age of 17 in 1983 he was sentenced 18 years in prison for committing 9 felonies (mugging, etc…) which he served 5 years. Hopkins served his time and as our society is setup, Hopkins is to be forgiven for his crimes and he has been forgiven. It appears that this is a double standard for Hopkins as he is not forgiving of anyone who is not “black enough” or from the inner city.

This is the second time in two months that another high profile black athlete has called out another black athlete for essentially not being black enough. On March 13, 2011 Rose called Grant Hill and other black former Duke Blue Devil basketball players “Uncle Tom” because they played for Duke, a school considered to be for “privileged whites”.

There’s another double standard here. I’m not sure how Rose’s job at ESPN would not make him an Uncle Tom? It seems that if one is surrounded by other white people and is successful, this makes that African American not “black enough” or an “Uncle Tom”. Just because Rose is talking about basketball (a culturally viable sport), this would not give him a pass as Hill was not given a pass for playing basketball. So what gives?

To further this point, I don’t understand how African American athletes are allowed to date interracially and not be considered an “Uncle Tom”? Rose’s reported girlfriend, Kristen “Krissy” Terry is not black. She appears to be of Caucasian and Hispanic descent. What’s with that?

You can view Terry’s IMDB profile at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3546329/

Just to clarify, I don’t care about race one way or another. It doesn’t matter to me and it shouldn’t matter to you. A couple in love is just that, a couple in love. A great athlete is just that, a great athlete. Life should be lived and viewed regardless of skin color. I just wish people would stop playing the race card, even within their own race.