Donald Sterling should step down as owner of The Los Angeles Clippers – or the NBA should force him out.
Racism in America has never been concealed, but today, six years after the historic election of President Barack Obama as the nation’s first black commander-in-chief, some citizens of this republic appear to be much more comfortable sharing their bigoted views about black people.
The now-infamous and appalling 9-and-a-half-minute racial outburst by Los Angeles Clippers owner Sterling, who seems to be an extremely hateful man, publicly scolded his girlfriend for “associating” with African Americans.
Sterling apparently snapped because his girlfriend, V. Stiviano – who is half-African-American and half-Mexican — posed for a photo with Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and uploaded the photo on Instagram.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?”
“I’m just saying, in your lousy f—ing Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with black people.”
“You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want.
The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games.”
Sterling’s indefensible racial tirade came just days before he was set to be honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP on May 15. The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP has, of course, announced that it will not be honoring Sterling, but Leon Jenkins, president of the Los Angeles branch of the civil rights organization, said Sterling is compassionate.
“He has a unique history of giving to the children of L.A.,” Jenkins said during a press conference Monday.
Jenkins said Sterling donates anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 tickets a game to youth groups for nearly every Clippers home game. So what have we learned from Sterling’s racist outburst? And are we surprised? Sadly, I’m not surprised; but I am outraged at Sterling’s racist rant that revealed his deep-seeded disgust toward African Americans.
But let me get this right: Sterling owns The Los Angeles Clippers, a team that is majority black, but he doesn’t want his girlfriend to bring black men to his basketball games to watch his predominately black team? And Sterling feels it’s alright to date a woman who is half black as long as she doesn’t get too friendly with black men. It’s twisted, racist – and revealing.
The black men who play for the Clippers have made Sterling extremely wealthy but does Sterling secretly harbor racist feelings toward the black men on his team?
COMMENTARY: Sterling Must Go…Now! was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
