From Jackie Robinson to the Thug Athlete

Sunday, April 15 marked the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s Major League Baseball debut. Robinson, the first 20th century black major leaguer, is a hero to millions of African Americans and a worldwide icon of courage. He was the face of the black athlete throughout the 1940's and early 50's and represented the race magnificently. Indeed, blacks would have been hard pressed to find a better ambassador to white fans, owners and players than Jackie Robinson. His civility in the face of racist jeering, violence, and disrespect earned the admiration of the country and helped open baseball to the multitude of talented black players that followed in his footsteps. Few today remember that Robinson was not selected to break the color barrier because he was the most talented black athlete of his day, but because he was above reproach.

It is therefore tragic to see so many black athletes squander and even erode Robinson’s legacy. The Chicago Bears’ Tank Johnson, for example, is now serving prison time for illegal possession of firearms and violating parole. In our media inundated world, Tank Johnson has become the unofficial face of the Chicago Bears. Equally disgraceful is the high profile suspension of Adam “Pacman” Jones for his involvement in a strip-club shooting incident that left a man paralyzed. Johnson and Jones are certainly not alone in running afoul of the law. In 2006, 35 NFL players were arrested on charges ranging from assault to drunk driving. Obviously not all the arrested players were black, but blacks were involved in the vast majority, and nearly all the high profile arrests involved black players.

Although the NFL is currently under the microscope for players misconduct, black athletes in other sports have joined the bad-behavior party. Two years ago the NBA mandated that players wear suits to games when not in uniform in order to combat the thug image associated with excessive bling and rap star outfits. In 2003 and 2004 the public debated every detail of the nearly two-year Kobe Bryant rape case spectacle. Though it remains uncertain whether or not Kobe raped his accuser, his casual sexual encounter constituted adultery. Jackie Robinson must be turning in his grave.

My intention is not to insinuate that all black athletes are criminals or thugs but that the we if we as a people do not hold the richest members of our race to account, we will all suffer. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and other purveyors of race warfare are incredibly effective at destroying white bigots like Don Imus, but they are completely silent when it comes time to challenge black athletes to clean up their act. Far more impressive than Jackson and Sharpton has been the response of the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Their willingness to hear and accept Imus’ apology and to work towards forgiveness is in the true spirit of Jackie Robinson. There are of course countless other black athletes today humbly and courageously going about their business outside of the media spotlight. Our job as a community is to esteem and honor them for their oft-overlooked moral virtue.

Whether we like it or not, black athletes are the most visible representatives of our race to a nation still adjusting itself to equality and integration. Thankfully, Jackie Robinson understood this reality and responded with his famous good-natured smile and level-headed wisdom. His gift to baseball and to the country - the gift of himself - was celebrated on Monday, April 16 by players of all races as they donned Robinson’s number 42. Let us hope that the hundreds of outstanding black athletes that today benefit from Robinson’s courage will not be overshadowed by those who use their freedom and their wealth foolishly. Let us further hope that those young men and women seeking role models will be able to tell the difference between behavior worth emulating and condemning.