As the news becomes public that the LA Clippers could be sold for a staggering $2B it is a good time to look back at how this came to fruition.
In the opinion of this writer, progress can be often defined as the residue of previous setbacks. We live in a world of ebb and flow and things certainly flowed badly when Clippers Owner Donald Sterling's racists statements went viral.
A plantation mentality was revealed, one that many felt was emancipated about 150 years ago. It's sad and hurtful that Sterling's proclamation was made, but the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.
Numerous friends of color have told me that some people who live in the south will let you know exactly how they feel when it comes to race relations. There's no hidden agenda or secrets. While some in the north keep their hatred hidden. Of course generalizations can be dangerous and often inaccurate.
It's 2014 and our President is bi-racial and this is disturbing to some people. Why? This is pathetic and sad. So much for living in a post racial world. Bigotry will always be present so it's everyone's responsibility to be open minded and not only embrace equality but encourage and promote it.
Equality should be ubiquitous. From the boardwalk to the boardroom.
The hatred of an octogenarian needs to be acknowledged. There are many maggots crawling around and it's our job to expose and dispose of them as they are the bane of our existence and the scourge of society. Each Sterling that is outed, and there are too many of them, represent one step backward and two steps forward. We'll take progress any way we can get it.
Contrast the Sterling situation with the powerful image of Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend after being drafted by the St. Louis Rams.
The genuine and spontaneous joy exhibited between two people who care about each other was clearly evident. Two people in a relationship celebrated an incredible accomplishment in a way that is normal yet many saw the PDA of two men as disturbing and wrong.
Their sexual orientation belongs to them not us. It is part of who they are and ESPN was there to capture it. Images such as these transform society and force people out of their comfort zone and put them in a position where they must confront their biases. DIVERSITY IS ABOUT EQUALITY NOT SELECTIVITY.
To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - let us not judge people by whom they love but by the content of their character. The character of Sterling and Sam couldn't be further apart.
