Roy Exum
Charles Barkley, the legendary basketball player whose brash honesty has gotten him in trouble more than once, jumped back in the hot water last week when he talked about why some people don’t feel Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is “black enough.”
Barkley’s comments first came during an interview in Philadelphia and by the weekend the story had grown because of its racial overtones. “What I said was, it’s a dirty secret in the black community unless you’re a thug or got a criminal record or just a jackass, some people don’t think you’re black enough,” Barkley repeated on Monday.
"There are a lot of black people who are unintelligent, who don't have success,” Barkley told reporters. “It's best to knock a successful black person down because they're intelligent, they speak well, they do well in school, and they're successful. It's crabs in a barrel,” he illustrated his remarks with the way crabs will pull down others when they try to escape from a bucket.
“We're the only ethnic group that says, 'Hey, if you go to jail, it gives you street cred.' It’s a dirty little secret in our community. I want black kids to know we can be strong, intelligent. We just tell kids if you’re doing good in school, you’re acting white. If you speak intelligently, you’re acting white. That’s bull****. That’s one of the reasons we as a group, us black people, are struggling. We don’t have great respect for each other.”
Barkley quickly added, “Russell Wilson was black enough last year when they were winning. Now that they're losing, he's not black enough? I don't think he changed in six months."
You have to remember that Charles, from Leeds, Ala., has been outspoken since he first attended Auburn and doesn’t step back from saying what’s on his mind. As he once admitted rather famously, “I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention."
Barkley said he agreed to last week’s interview to discuss the upcoming NBA season but one of the hosts asked about reports that Wilson was not “black enough” so Charles was happy to oblige. “The question was asked. I talked about it in my last book. One of the problems in our black community is us, not white folks, other black folks. It just happened to come up because the Russell Wilson thing just broke.
“It’s not something I hadn’t said before. I don’t know why people took it national last week. You don’t have to be a thug or unintelligent. You’re supposed to do great academically. You’re supposed to speak correctly. You don’t have to have street cred. I tell people, ‘We’re the only group where if you have a criminal record it makes you more black.’ It’s ridiculous.”
"Unfortunately, as I tell my white friends, we as black people, we're never going to be successful not because of you white people but because of other black people," Barkley said. "When you're black, you have to deal with so much crap in your life from other black people. It's a dirty, dark secret; I'm glad it's coming out."
"For some reason we're brainwashed to think if you're not a thug or an idiot, you're not black enough. If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent and don't break the law, you're not a good black person," he said. "It's a dirty dark secret. I hate to bring white people into our crap, but as a black person, we all go through it when you're successful."
One reporter asked Charles about the domestic violence in professional sports and Barkley didn’t flinch – or hesitate. “I'm very disappointed in Roger Goodell (commissioner of the NFL) and DeMaurice Smith (executive director of the Player's Association). I don't understand why they're having such a tough time," Barkley said.
"The first time you hit a woman, you should be suspended while the legal process plays out. The second time it happens, you should be banned for life. It's a joke that these two guys can't just get in a room for five minutes and figure it all out. You don't need to wait until the end of the season, or put a panel together," he said.
Charles is definitely not timid and could care less if some think he is too outspoken.
Of course, my favorite Barkley quote of all time came during the NBA playoffs last year after he visited San Antonio. “There's some big 'ole women down there," Barkley let it rip. "That's a gold mine for Weight Watchers ... Victoria is definitely a secret. They can't wear no Victoria's Secret down there!"
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