All White Basketball League?

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Census projections indicate that by the year 2050 white people will be a minority in the United States. A lot of this has to do with immigration, but even without any immigration, minorities would still constitute a majority of the population under age 5 in 2050. According to The New York Times, this is because of higher birth rates among Hispanic people already living here. “If immigration continues, black, Hispanic and Asian children will become a majority of young children sometime between 2019 and 2023, according to the latest projections.” What does this mean? Should minority status be extended to white Americans when this shift occurs? Should white people be preparing now?

Some might say yes, and that one arena in which white minority status needs protecting is in professional sports…basketball in particular.

So say Don “Moose” Lewis and the All-American Basketball Alliance, who are now publicizing plans for an all-white basketball league. The league aims to launch in twelve cities this summer, according to a recent report in the Augusta Chronicle. The league's commissioner, Lewis, said that in today’s culture you have to "worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch." Therefore, a league is needed that focuses on "fundamental basketball" instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." When asked by Tony McNary in a CBS interview whether this project is racist Lewis quickly answered, "No." He continued by stating that "it's not gonna be the street-type ball mentality. It's going to be different."

Many disagree and question what exactly “different” means. For starters, there’s Charles Barkley, who is quoted in The Huffington Post as stating that an all-white league is “just blatantly racist if you look at the code words used;" street-ball, fundamental, attacking, crotch-grabbing. Barkley continued, "I don't take it seriously, but it just lets you know there's blatant racism out there.... It lets you know, as a black man, there are people out there who don't like you." Other less famous Americans of various racial backgrounds are also skeptical. After watching a video about the league, Ben Ervin, a 33-year-old multiracial (Filipino, White and African American) from Los Angeles wonders if both of a player’s parents need to be white in order for that player to play or coach. He asked, “will there be DNA testing and what defines white? 50%? 67%? What about phenotypic American born African American Albino parents that have an Albino child?” Then there’s Jordan Breen, a 22-year-old Cuban-Irish American from Philadelphia, who remarked, “I love the caveat that you don’t have to be white to own or invest…amazing!”

Barkley, Mason and Breen are calling attention to the idea that an all-white league is evidence that we haven’t become a post-racial nation in which race and racism no longer exist. In fact, they’re reminding us that if “the problem of the 20th century was the problem of the color line,” then the problem of the 21st century is that the color that matters most is green.

I quote Lewis to support this point. Apparently he’s not the only one who sees the promise of using race as spectacle and marketing tool. “In the past 72 hours, I've been approached by two different parties to not only televise what we're doing, but to turn this into a reality show from the time we start all the way through, and at the end, have our white all-stars play a group of all-star black players, with the series called ‘Snowball vs. Bro Ball.’”




Ridiculous

Hilarious use of words.I am "white" and I can tell you that there is soooo much discrimination it is hard to believe. It's not spoken outright anymore, but there are slurs and insinuations and ugliness. It will never end. Even if the races interbreed and the color of skin is all the same, there will be some way to impliment discrimination against others. It is beyond comprehension as to why. Does it make them feel superior to look down upon others? Does it make me feel superior to look down upon them?????? Thanks for your posts.

~CB



Amazing

I truly can't believe the words this man Lewis has said. It is truly amazing how some people can be so prejudice. An "All-white" basketball league, that is truly comedy. On another note, it still surprises me that there is still people out there that still believe that certain races are superior. Shows us how no matter how much education we gain, our way of thinking sometimes never changes.



In 2010? Really?

Outrageous. That's all I can say.



Nothing scares America like Race

The blatantly racist remarks of Lewis are only obscure to the patently ignorant. There's no missing the obvious connection between skin color and social behavior that essentializes bodies along racial lines. Can I get a big: You gotta be kidding me!?! I'm not saying that culture doesn't influence our behavior, but the belief that white populations will play some fundamental basketball is looking at white culture with one eye (at best) closed. I won't make this long cause the white league is obvi a terrible exercise in blood quantum standards or my favorite Nazi approach to race "eye balling" it. The league is laughable and the law suit ought to make for some great press, but I doubt such an idea will ever come to fruition. Lewis' commentary demonstrates the way race terrifies the US to its core.



Real talk

I believe this is thinly veiled discrimination at best and racism at worst.

-JB



Good to know

That was really interesting and your blog is awesome!

Thanks so much for sharing.

Brooke Holmes
(former student)



Obvious!

If Lewis himself weren't so blatantly racist, it would have been easier to make an argument for his endeavors. Similar to historically black colleges that prefer to admit only African American students, Lewis could have simply chosen to admit only the players he wished to. In my opinion, his motivation for creating this racially separate league is where the element of racism rears its head. This is made obvious by his derogatory remarks towards 'streetball' players who (apparently) will flip you off, attack you in the stands and run off grabbing their crotches. If I'm not mistaken, the NBA is not 100% African American, and non-black players can be just as aggressive and offensive as any other player in the league.
A post-racial society is still very far off, and as white people slowly become the 'minority' in America, racial awareness (negative and positive) will become increasingly and even more painstakingly obvious.

Kaye Ponnusamy

P.S. 'Snowball vs. Bro Ball' is undoubtedly one of the most offensive (but funny) things I have heard in quite a while.



Capitalism at its best

Ah, Ah, My thoughts were the same, you beat me to the punch. Capitalism at its best.

Look how , in essence Tiger Woods is used as a capitalistic tool. He is or was a one man "Black" golf team. In a league of his own. No one is screaming racism about that, no other "Black" golfers being given the chance as Tigers has. Correct me if I am wrong, and as far as Charles Barkley goes, he has been in so many fights he's "Punch Drunk".

01/26/2010 Burgess Dillard



Wow!

Lewis's argument reminds me of those who claim "reverse discrimination" when it comes to affirmative action. Haven't we already had all-white leagues before? I guess he misses the Jim Crow days!!!! Post-racial nation? Not even close!