http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqrGR074AoEOn Sunday, January 17, The All American Basketball Alliance, a new professional basketball league, sent out a press release saying that it's inaugural season starts in June 2010, with teams from 12 United States cities. This would be completely acceptable, if not for the minor detail that in order to be eligible to join the league, one would have to be a U.S. citizen born in the United States, with both parents being caucasian. This is in fact, an all white basketball league.
Don "Moose" Lewis, an Atlanta based wrestling and boxing promoter, has organized the league insisting that he is not racist. He states that he just wants to get back to the fundamentals of basketball and away from the "street ball" played by "African American" basketball players. He speaks on the behavioral issues in the NBA and insists that such behaviors would cease to exist in an all white league.
"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing", said Lewis. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."
Whether Mr. Lewis is or is not racist, this, among many, is certainly and act of segregation and discrimination. What is questionable though, is why this act of segregation, made by a caucasion American male has been unavoidably publicized when there are many acts of segregation being committed all around us? Such as, BET, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, The All my Children project, The Pew Hispanic Center, and many more. These are all forms of societies that favor, or extend their services distinctively to particular groups, races and nationalities.
The problem is that American citizens are entirely too focused on being exclusive. America needs to gain the strength to accept the fact that in order to truly be united, all of our efforts in creating a "better" country have to be inclusive. These discriminatory efforts are doing no justice to all of the freedom fighters of our past, the people who worked relentlessly to create equal rights for all American citizens.
Many people believe that racism in America has died many years ago and should no longer be a topic of discussion. Recent years have proven that racism is continuing to rear its ugly little head in this free country we call the United States. If we do not work to stop these acts before they prove to, once again, become out of control, history will surely repeat itself.
-Jazlyne Miller- Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 5:23 pm
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