Quote Originally Posted by ralpht View Post
I'm having a hard time understanding exactly what this conversation is all about. Gladys is singing at the Super Bowl. Be happy for her. She will tear it up. What else do you guys want to complain about?
I'll try to break it down for you, Ralph. The Civil Rights movement lay dormant for decades. People were foolish enough to believe that we were somehow moving toward a post-racial society where everybody actually did have a chance to succeed. Some of us didn't need a reminder that this foolish worldview was fallacious. We saw, spoke about and remembered incidents in our community where police abused suspects [[and sometimes, non-suspects) and there was never an accounting for it. Some were promoted to leadership later. That might not be your experience, but it's mine.

Flash forward to the 2000s. The advent of social media gave us a lot of things. Like Soulful Detroit. And Facebook. And Twitter. But the main thing it gave us [[along with people carrying cell phones that could video and snap photos of important events) was a news cycle that updated in real time. That's why I live 400 miles away from NYC but saw Eric Garner's life being choked out for selling loose cigarettes. And I'm 600 miles from Minneapolis but I saw the blood on Philando Castille's chest after he was killed for literally no reason. And Alton Sterling. And Sandra Bland. And dozens more.

This is not and will never be a concern for many, perhaps not even for you. But it has always been a concern for many, especially me. And when Kaepernick took a knee, he was representing people who had finally said "enough" and were glad to see someone take a stance. But the reaction was not to discuss police brutality, it was to call his patriotism and mine into question. What am I to garner from this reaction? Well, not only is America 100% fine with police abuse and corruption, America also was willing to make an example for any black man foolish enough to bring attention to it. That's why the NFL got "that son of a bitch off the field" to quote Donald Trump.

Do you think that makes it even more personal?

I doubt that you've had this discussion with your family and loved ones as you've gathered around the table for holiday dinners but I have. We talk about it frequently because I have nephews and nieces that I worry about. That's why a lot of black people have that other discussion with their kids that white parents would never need to have. The one where we tell them that if the cops stop you for no good reason and call you derogatory names and shout at you or tackle you from behind even before addressing you, you have to treat them with respect that they won't show you. You don't know how hard that is to either talk to your kids about it or to bite your tongue and put it in practice when it happens to you. Been there. Done that.

Gladys Knight knows about this issue. She's acknowledged it. If she was singing at the World Series or NBA Championship or Stanley Cup Finals, nobody would give two shits about it. But she's singing at the Super Bowl. As I said, she didn't make that decision in a vacuum, she did it with full knowledge of the issues surrounding that league and that political statement.

God bless her. And you. I hope you enjoy seeing her next time she comes to town but I won't. And I surely won't be happy for her and won't be rooting for her to tear it up.