In the game of basketball, competition is fierce and the battle is one of execution on offense and prevention on defense. However, in the final analysis, it is not what happens at the tip off that makes the difference. It is when the buzzer sounds, the game is ended and final scores are posted. Both teams have a chance of winning at the start of the game, but it is how the game is played that tells the story at the close of regulation. But the fact remains in basketball: “If you can’t get the ball, you can’t score… and if you never have the ball you are always on defense.” Life in Black America is being played a lot like a basketball game. Only African-Americans are playing all away games, never have the benefit of home team advantage or good referees. Put simply… We are always on defense. White America started the game after getting a huge lead on Black America using tactics of Slavery, Jim Crow, Willie Lynch and intimidation. African-Americans used a strategy to score several times with great inventions, discoveries using the wisdom and genius of many Black scientists, inventors, businessmen and women, spokesmen and teachers. But for White America, those achievements are just not good enough… The momentum and gains we have made has been squelched because White America started “holding the ball” in stall-type offense, passing it around to Pakistanis, Indians (from India), Middle Easterners (Saudi Arabians, Kuwaiti’s, Jordanians), Russian and Polish immigrants, Thais, Chinese, Japanese and Hispanics. The goal of the game became to tire Blacks out by keeping us on defense. Despite our best talents, efforts to get the ball back, African-Americans have been stifled by the game strategies of White America that have been using the sixth man ( drugs, unemployment and the criminal justice system) to keep us off balance. The game is not being played fairly because even with good “coaching”, the most talented members of the African-American team find it difficult to get the ball and keep it long enough to score. We face some uphill battles in this game and with the kinds of referees overseeing the game; it will be difficult to win. Many African-American come into the game thinking that it is played fairly and that we will not have problems scoring in the White world. However, we soon learn how difficult it is, not matter how hard we work, pay our bills or do the right things following the rules, African-Americans remain on defense. One obstacle to scoring is the getting our hands on the credit ball. Credit card companies are not interested in helping hard working Blacks establish solid credit histories. While others in the game get credit limits in the tens of thousands of dollars, African-Americans can barely get $500 and $1,000 card without the companies putting us on defense. In banking, it is no different. Banks empty out the vaults for whites with job histories of more than six months, but an African-American has to be on his job almost five years steady before loan officers give them the time of day. African-Americans are told no or face higher interests rates if approved because Caucasians fear that if he gives that money to a Black man, he may never see it again. We are always on defense. On business, Whites can start businesses from lawn care to day care to construction and banks roll out the “red credit” carpet. African-Americans have to fill out forms in triplicate and sign in blood and provide collateral and promises of quick success before White-controlled loan institutions give us a chance. Again, we stay on defense. We can’t get our hands on the credit ball, banking ball or the business ball and to add insult to injury, during the game, we face a number of “moving violation” calls. Referees always look closer and find reasons to call “fouls” on African-Americans. The criminal justice system calls “walk” on many Blacks and we are left on defense and or forced to sit on the bench because of long prison terms that take us away from wives, children and families and keeping us out of the game because of limited job opportunities and loss of voting rights because of a felony. The only ball we often see, despite our love for the game and following the rules is the “eight ball”. Many of us love basketball, but we don’t like the way this game is being played or refereed by the government, white-controlled banking and financial institutions or businesses.
All African-Americans want is an equal opportunity to “handle the ball”.
We have the talent, skills and abilities to score, but:
“If you can’t get the ball, you can’t score… and if you never have the ball you are always on defense.”
It is time to give African-Americans the ball and I am calling on White America to play fair.
Stop calling moving violations that deny us the ball…
We need jobs, homes, cars, businesses and personal funds to help run our lives too.
How about loaning more money to everyday, hard working Blacks money for a change?
Cease the glass ceilings that prevent Blacks from being promoted or paid equally to white counterparts.
Quit writing different standards and using preconceived ideas for African-Americans that charge Blacks automatic higher insurance premiums, higher interest rates.
We were brought here and help build this country long before Pakistanis, Indians ( India), Saudis, Kuwaitis, Jordanians, Chinese, Japanese, Thais, Russians, Polish refugees and Hispanics.
Give us the ball and then just PLAY FAIR…And you know what I mean.