In news that was probably shocking to those who found Colin Kaepernick’s protest to be disrespectful to the military and America, a new Associated Press report found that 100 percent of black NFL players surveyed have experienced racial profiling or know someone who has.
From AP:
The Associated Press surveyed 56 of the 59 black players at last weekend’s Pro Bowl game as part of its look at how African-American athletes have long used their sports platforms to effect social and political change. The AP asked the players whether they or someone they knew have ever experienced racial profiling.
All said yes.
To save AP from producing another nonsensical African-American story, I’ve listed a few truths about the black community:
- 100 percent of black people don’t fuck with KFC but will eat it in a pinch and will not like it while they are eating it.
- 100 percent of black women sleep with head scarves or satin pillowcases.
- 100 percent of black men have owned a pair of Air Jordans at some point in their lives.
- 100 percent of black women will crowd the dance floor when they hear, “Cash Money Records taking over for the ’99 and the 2000.”
What’s shocking here isn’t that 100 percent of black NFL players in this survey have experienced racial profiling, but the widely held myth that money somehow protects black people from racism. It’s this kind of detached journalism that has black advocates screaming for diversity inside newsrooms.
After noting that a boy who grew up to be an NFL player witnessed a police officer hold a gun to his father’s head, and the wife of an NFL player was pulled over while driving a Bentley, AP notes:
These unsettling scenes are among the stories from some of the NFL’s marquee players, multimillionaires sharing tales of racial profiling by law enforcement. It is a troubling concern for people of color that has been at the center of the protests begun in August 2016 by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The story then goes on to explain that out of the 56 players surveyed, all of them noted that they or someone they know has been a victim of racial profiling. The story did not note how many black NFL players stated, “Nigga, are you for serious?!” It also didn’t include the number of side eyes or “C’mon, son” glares.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson summed it best when he stated:
You can probably ask any black man out here and the answer is yes. It’s not like this is just starting today or a new thing. It’s gone on for a long time. I think African American men have been (victims) of racial profiling for a long time, by either the things they wear or just by the color of their skin.
It’s shocking to me that AP had to ask 56 black NFL players in order to realize this harsh truth of American life, as if money would somehow exempt them from the daily pressures of being black.