Super Bowl 50…What a chance?

Super Bowl 50…What a chance?

By Don Valentine

We all agree that race relations could be better digested via mutual discussions of the topic.  Do you have the Courage to broach the topic?  Football is a subject most people have an opinion about. The Super Bowl in particular is a “ubiquitous” event that over 150 million Americans can talk about. A wise man said that “a real relationship happens when you have a real conversation.”

The quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, Cameron Newton, has put the topic on the table.  Last week he addressed the elephant in the room by pointing out that he is a Black quarterback. Now do you have the courage to spark a conversation with a coworker about why they are so upset about his “dabbing”?

Do you have the courage to explain to white coworkers/friends how our cultural trends differ from theirs? Do you have the courage to explain that Black people have to alter some or a lot of behavior to assimilate with white society? Do you have the courage to ask your white co-worker the tough question about why they fear talking about racism?

Consider the disdain most white people have for this topic. This subject is the proverbial “Kryptonite” for a lot of people. Have you ever heard, “I don’t care if your Black, White, Green or Purple”? That statement will likely precede a hypocritical comment defending how benign that person is to color. If you have to justify why you’re not a racist there is good chance you really are a racist.

I posit that this game gives each of us the chance to close the racial divide by one conversation at a time. If we don’t have this discourse things will not change.

Therefore, I ask you, “Do you have the courage to engage the issue?”

Don Valentine, freelance writer