Athletes-Money Drama ballers

According to William C. Rhoden, high salary athletes have the potential of becoming a slave to their benefactors. Last week, Rhoden, author of $40 Million Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete was on the Steve Harvey Radio Show promoting or talking about his new book. I have not read the book, but found what Rhoden had to say about some African-American' athletes struggling to get where they are today, a clear message for them not to forget that struggle in getting there.

Not forgetting does not translate into, those who are left behind is owed anything. Sure, success begets more in the bling-bling society, but what body of people helped you before the investor or investors? In other words, would your new found friends support you, if you were small potatoes, the same way that the old neighborhood folks would treat you if did not have that money value? Especially, if you started it talking trash like the one and only Muhammad Ali.

Mainstream America does not care for an expression of pride from prominent African-Americans concerning third world conditions of some African-American communities. Especially, if the expression involves reminders of the slavery narrative impact on other African-Americans. Mainstream doe not take kindly to those African-Americans who do not exhibit gratefulness after welcoming such athletes into their raced white privileged world. Quickly the admiration will dissipate for those athletes who achieved success through the most difficult of obstacles if total assimilation is not embraced by these achievers.

For illustration, Rhoden spoke about the young African-American males, John Carlos and Tommie Smith standing on the podium at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968. The sheer fact of being the best at what they do in the world, was not enough to shield them from America's disapproval of their looking back into their community. America only wanted these athletes to represent America's superior power, not a demonstration of America's failure to include them in the larger society, in wearing the black gloves with raised black fists signifying the Black Power Movement. Quickly, the two lost their consumer appeal to sell products for the benefactors as well as the product of a wholesome African-American for raced whites to embrace.

So, instead of continuing trying to gain America's approval with their millions, by just being consumers, Rhoden suggest, athletes, before they lose their appeal to America put some of those millions to work in neglected communities. And at the same time, where they can not only make a difference but build on their wealth. Because their window of opportunity is not necessary based on their skills but by the approval of the owners. Owners are the shot callers, and can say bye-bye to your ability to earn top dollars on a whim.

Yet owners of these athletes' labor can practice discriminatory behavior without scrutiny or such behavior impacting their livelihood. But this same standard of behavior does not apply to high profile money-making African-Americans/ For example, Oprah refusing to embrace the music of hip-hop, and quickly b-boys rally to hold her accountable for dissing a brother. Yet little outrage occur when an owner refuses an apartment to certain ethnic groups, simply but this is not a colorblind society.