Sterling and Racism: Five Myths
- We should be shocked. The number of people who said they were shocked by Sterling’s comments speaks volumes about our cultural and racial encapsulation. Sterling comments are not out of the ordinary nor is it particularly shocking that someone in his capacity, with his track record, would say something racist.
- This is an NBA issue. This is not an NBA issue, this is a societal issue. Imagine if it was possible to eliminate the thinking expressed by people like Donald Sterling. Would racism cease to exist? The answer is clearly no. As a country, we share a history of racism. Racism may be expressed openly or it may be hidden beneath the surface or behind closed doors. It may be easy to pinpoint or it may be diffuse. Moreover, racism extends far beyond the thinking of an individual. Rather, it is embedded in social norms, expectations, values, histories, and social institutions.
- Attitude, rather than racism, keeps Blacks from achieving their potential. In other words, people cannot allow the Donald Sterling’s of the world to hold them back. This is a classic case of “blaming the victim.” Rather than looking at ourselves and how we contribute to racism, both individually and collectively, it is far easier for some of us to put the blame on Blacks or some other convenient minority.
- This is all about race. Too much of this storyline focuses solely on race. According to intersection theory, what transpired cannot be analyzed apart from other dimensions of diversity. For example, numerous comments about Sterling, his estranged wife, and his “gal pal,” “mistress,” “associate,” (take your pick)V. Stiviano, reflect both sexism and classism.
- This so-called scandal provides us with valuable insight into racism in America today. News coverage such as “Is Racism Alive Today?” and “Does Discrimination Still Burn In the US?” shows how the media is unprepared to deal with something like this. The media finds it difficult to examine the ordinary rather than the extraordinary, the structural rather than the individual, and the social context rather than an isolated occurrence. This storyline, by itself, tells us very little. Only when we piece things together do we develop a deeper understanding of racism in the U.S.
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