“All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin’s witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed”
—Bob Dylan’s song about Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
As a boy in the US-Apartheid 1950s I remember being indoctrinated about differences between the races which made white athletes superior. No need to look in any particular place, it was a dominant theme everywhere in U.S. culture.
Nowhere was it more extolled than in boxing, whose racism went back to the bare knuckle days of the nineteenth century, when many of the early champions were Irish.
My uncles told me that when my Irish ancestors came to Boston there were signs on the front doors of bars reading “NO IRISH OR DOGS ALLOWED.” I asked them what they did about it and they told me they went into the bars and “whipped everybody in the bar” at the time—bartenders, patrons, and the owner if he was there.
I asked “What about innocent people?” and they responded that when such a sign was posted, there were no innocent people in the establishment. All were guilty and all would pay with maximum violence. I remember shuddering, picturing images of bleeding people writhing on the tavern floors.
With their backs to the wall, unable to get good jobs with which to provide for their families, Irish fighters felt they had to win, giving extra effort coupled with a willingness to suffer any blow. Ironically the prejudice and shunning made them much better fighters.
And so it was with the Italian boxers—Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano of my boyhood. In those days Italians were often exposed to their own kind of racism in America, called insulting names like “Wops” and “Dagos.”
You might ask why Black fighters were not champions in the early days of boxing and the answer is clear—they were not allowed to compete. Since they had their back against the wall even more than the Irish or Italians, they certainly would have had the advantage in giving their all. This has been proven since Blacks have been allowed to compete—most of the heavyweight boxing champs since the mid 20th century have been Black.
There were exceptions to the rule such as Jack Johnson, heavyweight champion from 1908-1915, but Johnson paid for his success with a jail term based almost entirely on racism, as American culture of the time would not stand for seeing a Black man win the world championship.
Why do black athletes excel?
I’ve long believed that racism does put one’s back to the wall, as previously stated. And Black kids growing up in America don’t see a lot of Black professionals–lawyers, doctors, or college professors as role models. They do see a lot of Black athletes making millions of dollars in salary at the highest levels, so they know that it is possible to achieve this.
Belief is a powerful thing, and this knowledge that an athletic path to success exists for Black people, motivates a large number of Black kids into sports.
Other sports
The racism of my youth extended to all sports. There was no representation by Black baseball players in the major leagues until 1947, when Jackie Robinson “broke the color line.” Black players could find work only in the “Negro Leagues,” before that, completely segregated. Even today in baseball we see very little representation of Blacks in the front office executive jobs.
I don’t believe any “race” is superior in anything, from ping pong to nuclear physics. But the racists culture of my youth insisted that Black athletes were lazy. When they excelled to championship level, it was then declared that they were born with the skills. They couldn’t win.
Several decades ago I read an account by a Black National Basketball League Player who said when he was in high school he dribbled a basketball for two miles to get to school, and two miles back home at the end of each school day. He became a masterful professional basketball player because of such hard work and determination—he was not “born” with the ball-handling skills, and he obviously wasn’t lazy.
When the National Basketball Association was formed there were only 4 Black players in the entire league. The Los Angeles team didn’t have a Black player until 1956.
In track and field, in my youth, it was believed that only white athletes could compete in distance races. The establishment view was that Black athletes lacked the stamina for the mile or other long races. So at high school, college, and amateur athletic levels, Black athletes weren’t even given an opportunity to show what they could do except in short races like the hundred yard dash.
We know today that Black athletes have excelled at distance races, even the longest, the marathons, but only because Black athletes from Africa started winning such events and the conventional wisdom was proven to be ridiculously false.
In my boyhood all of the professional sports teams were made up primarily of white athletes. It seems difficult to believe today, with National Basketball League and National Football League teams mostly Black. Baseball is not majority Black players, but neither is it white, with enough Latin American and Asian players to leave whites clearly in the minority.
Black lives matter
Racism continues in American sports largely with the support of the corporate media, which has never been without racial bias. When Black athletes refuse to stand for the National Anthem prior to National Football League (NFL) games, mainstream media talking heads often report it as a shameful thing to do, without giving the clear reason why it takes place—that Black athletes are courageously attempting to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, by risking their livelihood.
This leaves the masses thinking it is only people being disrespectful to the flag and country, when corporate media could be on a much higher level by allowing the viewpoint of the athletes and calling for a national board to investigate what could be done to halt the recurrent shooting of Black people by police.
Shamefully, the NFL itself has announced that it will fine players who kneel during the anthem, rather than recognize the heroics of individual player-protesters and join this just human rights cause.
Couldn’t there be a call for better screening of police officers to eliminate those who should never be given a badge, much less a gun? Couldn’t there be a call for better training of police officers to ensure they are aware of several basic intervention steps that may be taken prior to the use of a gun when facing a suspect?
It’s clear that the president of the United States, the person best able to call for a national board to look into this very serious problem, is not interested. President Trump wants to throw red meat to his glassy-eyed followers by pronouncing the Black athletes as unpatriotic, and calling for them to be fired.
When most of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles team refused to attend a White House function in their honor this year, President Trump said “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the national anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country,” thereby twisting the issue into one of patriotism. Corporate media did not correct Trump’s fraudulent statement.
Conclusion
It is time that we revised our sports history to allow more truth, with all of the horrible suffering Black athletes have endured. There is a glimmer of hope for this, as when Muhammed Ali died, it appears his long antagonism by the media died with him. Too bad that during his lifetime he wasn’t praised more as a hero for not going to Vietnam.
Had Ali allowed himself to be drafted, the Army would not have exposed him to being shot in the war, as it would have hurt recruiting and dropped troop morale in Vietnam. Ali would have been showcased in boxing exhibitions to promote the recruiting of young men into the Army. Ali knew he would not be in danger, but truly opposed the war and stood by his high principles.
I’ve always thought the hypocrites, concerning war, are those who adamantly support war while avoiding it for themselves, people like Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
People who oppose war and stick to it by avoiding participation at risk to their careers, like Muhammad Ali, should be seen as heroes.
And so are all of the athletes who kneel when the National Anthem is played, in bravely drawing attention to the Black Lives Matter cause, at risk to their livelihood.
Jack Balkwill has been published from the little read Rectangle, magazine of the English Honor Society, to the (then) millions of readers USA Today and many progressive publications/web sites such as Z Magazine, In These Times, Counterpunch, This Can’t Be Happening, Intrepid Report, and Dissident Voice. He is author of “An Attack on the National Security State,” about peace activists in prison.
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We have always had racism in our sports
Posted on July 18, 2018 by Jack Balkwill
As a boy in the US-Apartheid 1950s I remember being indoctrinated about differences between the races which made white athletes superior. No need to look in any particular place, it was a dominant theme everywhere in U.S. culture.
Nowhere was it more extolled than in boxing, whose racism went back to the bare knuckle days of the nineteenth century, when many of the early champions were Irish.
My uncles told me that when my Irish ancestors came to Boston there were signs on the front doors of bars reading “NO IRISH OR DOGS ALLOWED.” I asked them what they did about it and they told me they went into the bars and “whipped everybody in the bar” at the time—bartenders, patrons, and the owner if he was there.
I asked “What about innocent people?” and they responded that when such a sign was posted, there were no innocent people in the establishment. All were guilty and all would pay with maximum violence. I remember shuddering, picturing images of bleeding people writhing on the tavern floors.
With their backs to the wall, unable to get good jobs with which to provide for their families, Irish fighters felt they had to win, giving extra effort coupled with a willingness to suffer any blow. Ironically the prejudice and shunning made them much better fighters.
And so it was with the Italian boxers—Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano of my boyhood. In those days Italians were often exposed to their own kind of racism in America, called insulting names like “Wops” and “Dagos.”
You might ask why Black fighters were not champions in the early days of boxing and the answer is clear—they were not allowed to compete. Since they had their back against the wall even more than the Irish or Italians, they certainly would have had the advantage in giving their all. This has been proven since Blacks have been allowed to compete—most of the heavyweight boxing champs since the mid 20th century have been Black.
There were exceptions to the rule such as Jack Johnson, heavyweight champion from 1908-1915, but Johnson paid for his success with a jail term based almost entirely on racism, as American culture of the time would not stand for seeing a Black man win the world championship.
Why do black athletes excel?
I’ve long believed that racism does put one’s back to the wall, as previously stated. And Black kids growing up in America don’t see a lot of Black professionals–lawyers, doctors, or college professors as role models. They do see a lot of Black athletes making millions of dollars in salary at the highest levels, so they know that it is possible to achieve this.
Belief is a powerful thing, and this knowledge that an athletic path to success exists for Black people, motivates a large number of Black kids into sports.
Other sports
The racism of my youth extended to all sports. There was no representation by Black baseball players in the major leagues until 1947, when Jackie Robinson “broke the color line.” Black players could find work only in the “Negro Leagues,” before that, completely segregated. Even today in baseball we see very little representation of Blacks in the front office executive jobs.
I don’t believe any “race” is superior in anything, from ping pong to nuclear physics. But the racists culture of my youth insisted that Black athletes were lazy. When they excelled to championship level, it was then declared that they were born with the skills. They couldn’t win.
Several decades ago I read an account by a Black National Basketball League Player who said when he was in high school he dribbled a basketball for two miles to get to school, and two miles back home at the end of each school day. He became a masterful professional basketball player because of such hard work and determination—he was not “born” with the ball-handling skills, and he obviously wasn’t lazy.
When the National Basketball Association was formed there were only 4 Black players in the entire league. The Los Angeles team didn’t have a Black player until 1956.
In track and field, in my youth, it was believed that only white athletes could compete in distance races. The establishment view was that Black athletes lacked the stamina for the mile or other long races. So at high school, college, and amateur athletic levels, Black athletes weren’t even given an opportunity to show what they could do except in short races like the hundred yard dash.
We know today that Black athletes have excelled at distance races, even the longest, the marathons, but only because Black athletes from Africa started winning such events and the conventional wisdom was proven to be ridiculously false.
In my boyhood all of the professional sports teams were made up primarily of white athletes. It seems difficult to believe today, with National Basketball League and National Football League teams mostly Black. Baseball is not majority Black players, but neither is it white, with enough Latin American and Asian players to leave whites clearly in the minority.
Black lives matter
Racism continues in American sports largely with the support of the corporate media, which has never been without racial bias. When Black athletes refuse to stand for the National Anthem prior to National Football League (NFL) games, mainstream media talking heads often report it as a shameful thing to do, without giving the clear reason why it takes place—that Black athletes are courageously attempting to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, by risking their livelihood.
This leaves the masses thinking it is only people being disrespectful to the flag and country, when corporate media could be on a much higher level by allowing the viewpoint of the athletes and calling for a national board to investigate what could be done to halt the recurrent shooting of Black people by police.
Shamefully, the NFL itself has announced that it will fine players who kneel during the anthem, rather than recognize the heroics of individual player-protesters and join this just human rights cause.
Couldn’t there be a call for better screening of police officers to eliminate those who should never be given a badge, much less a gun? Couldn’t there be a call for better training of police officers to ensure they are aware of several basic intervention steps that may be taken prior to the use of a gun when facing a suspect?
It’s clear that the president of the United States, the person best able to call for a national board to look into this very serious problem, is not interested. President Trump wants to throw red meat to his glassy-eyed followers by pronouncing the Black athletes as unpatriotic, and calling for them to be fired.
When most of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles team refused to attend a White House function in their honor this year, President Trump said “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the national anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country,” thereby twisting the issue into one of patriotism. Corporate media did not correct Trump’s fraudulent statement.
Conclusion
It is time that we revised our sports history to allow more truth, with all of the horrible suffering Black athletes have endured. There is a glimmer of hope for this, as when Muhammed Ali died, it appears his long antagonism by the media died with him. Too bad that during his lifetime he wasn’t praised more as a hero for not going to Vietnam.
Had Ali allowed himself to be drafted, the Army would not have exposed him to being shot in the war, as it would have hurt recruiting and dropped troop morale in Vietnam. Ali would have been showcased in boxing exhibitions to promote the recruiting of young men into the Army. Ali knew he would not be in danger, but truly opposed the war and stood by his high principles.
I’ve always thought the hypocrites, concerning war, are those who adamantly support war while avoiding it for themselves, people like Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
People who oppose war and stick to it by avoiding participation at risk to their careers, like Muhammad Ali, should be seen as heroes.
And so are all of the athletes who kneel when the National Anthem is played, in bravely drawing attention to the Black Lives Matter cause, at risk to their livelihood.
Jack Balkwill has been published from the little read Rectangle, magazine of the English Honor Society, to the (then) millions of readers USA Today and many progressive publications/web sites such as Z Magazine, In These Times, Counterpunch, This Can’t Be Happening, Intrepid Report, and Dissident Voice. He is author of “An Attack on the National Security State,” about peace activists in prison.