Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Bruce Levenson Isn’t a Racist; He’s a Businessman

[True Earthling]

http://time.com/3296175/bruce-levenson-atlanta-hawks-racist-email-kareem-abdul-jabbar/

I read Levenson’s email. Here’s what I concluded: Levenson is a businessman asking reasonable questions about how to put customers in seats. In the email, addressed to Hawks president Danny Ferry, Levenson wonders whether (according to his observations) the emphasis on hip-hop and gospel music and the fact that the cheerleaders are black, the bars are filled with 90% blacks, kiss cams focus on black fans and time-out contestants are always black has an effect on keeping away white fans.

Seems reasonable to ask those questions. If his arena was filled mostly with whites and he wanted to attract blacks, wouldn’t he be asking how they could de-emphasize white culture and bias toward white contestants and cheerleaders? Don’t you think every corporation in America that is trying to attract a more diverse customer base is discussing how to feature more blacks or Asians or Latinos in their TV ads?

Back when the original Law & Order first launched, there was a cast shake-up that added more women, reportedly in an effort to attract more female viewers. MTV shows like Finding Carter and Teen Wolf can’t get through an emotional scene without a pop song coming in to sing to the viewer what they should be feeling, because that’s what their demographic wants. Car companies hire specialized advertising agencies to create ads to appeal specifically to women, blacks and Latinos. That’s business.

[Journeyman]

1. In line with the way I read the original email, and my perception of the initial responses. . .

Nice to see someone whom I've respected for so long and in so many instances has a take similar to mine.

[tazkcmo]

2. F Jabbar!

No matter what he says, he's wrong.

Signed a life long Celtic fan.














Sarcasm note: This was sarcasm.

[Journeyman]

3. I'm Bruin blue and there's never been another like him . . .

and I doubt there ever will.

(And he's not even my favorite player, nor were his teams the best Wooden coached.)

I'll grant you, though, your Celtic preference.

[tazkcmo]

6. He was awesome

And a good world citizen before we knew what one was. Celtic pride aside.

[Anansi1171]

4. Esteemed Laker, NBA All-time Scoring Leader, greatest Center ever...

...( Yes,Mr. Russell!), up there with Jackie Robinson as a great UCLA Bruin and I think he held his own reasonably well against the incomparable Bruce Lee. Yes, KAJ is not only a Living Legend and national treasure ( can you tell I'm a fan?) he is filled to the brim with Common Sense!

The issue is the same one apparent on many fronts these days - that white male Gen Xers do not socialize with blacks and (as do many whites ) do not like to be in majority black environs.

Not only is this a political conundrum as we often discuss here, it is apparently a business problem. The email does not excuse the sort of stereotypes prevalent among white guys that would dissuade them from going to see the Hawks play, but those stereotypes may not be dissimilar to those that would keep me (as a black guy) from attending a NASCAR race.

I would argue that the white guy's fears are unfounded ( as Levenson says about the safety of the area surrounding the arena) and that mine were founded( I would wager that I would not leave that NASCAR event without some stridently militant and proud "redneck" making some remark about my race in passing or something), but that is simply my opinion and my fear.

As black man in the Summer of 2014, I am hoping that a Black American Movement can come forth that fosters (1) Black economic aggregation and development, (2) a political and legislative broadside against institutional racism( mass incarceration, War on Drugs, Redlining and barriers to entry) and (3) a global PR campaign to reintroduce and tell the story of actual Black Americans to the rest of the world since the US News Media has proudly propagated the image of gangsters and welfare cheats to EVERY fucking last corner of the Earth.