Jalen Rose on Duke's Black Players
It seems every day there’s a topic that has my timeline jumping. Tuesday morning there were still smatterings of conversation about CryGate 2011 but the big topic of conversation was Jalen Rose and his controversial remarks regarding Duke basketball’s recruiting habits. Rose, in his soon to be released documentary, remarks that he has a personal hatred for Duke, that he hated everything he felt Duke stood for. He continues by saying that he felt that schools like Duke “only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoiXR9yDIZ8
The comment, started an intense debate about the perceived racism at the root of the fact that Duke only recruits black players from polished families. Those who have always questioned Coach K’s tactics rode the comment to the moon and back. And my fellow Duke alumni and supporters offered their retorts and expressed their dismay at the reactions of their followers. Rose’s comment, and the conversation that followed was interesting, and in some ways sad.
The ideas expressed by and contained by the quote and the barrage of comments that followed are not new to our community, namely that academic achievement makes one “less Black” and the never-ending debate about how one’s blackness is lessened or damaged by attending a predominately white institution. In that way it was sad to me. It’s 2011 and a prominent black man (not to mention half of the Black sports fans on twitter) is still discussing the fact that blacks who are “accomplished” are Uncle Toms.
To be clear, I don’t take for granted the perspective Jalen Rose must have of the situation. Here he is, a member of the famed Fab Five, a group of young players who are credited with marrying the worlds of hip-hop and basketball with their baggy shorts and overall style of play. Their style was juxtaposed with the fundamental play of the Duke Blue Devils in the 1992 NCAA tournament. The loss, coupled with the feeling that he was overlooked by Duke and other schools like it, must play a part in his view of the university.
Many are attributing his youth at the time to his feeling that Duke’s black players were Uncle Toms but even that is problematic and just another sign that we need to work harder to show our children that academic achievement is not an affront to our blackness.
I won’t give any credence to the idea that Duke only recruits Uncle Toms by listing our Black players. I also won’t say that I haven’t ever considered the racial makeup of our basketball team. I will say that the comment is troublesome to me because of the feelings behind it.
Rose didn’t say that attending a white academic institution makes one less “black.” After all, the Fab Five didn’t join forces at Tennessee State Univ or Winston Salem, they went to the Univ of Michigan!
Also, he didn’t suggest that academic achievement makes one less “black.” He stated that he felt schools like Duke treated kids from the inner-city as if they weren’t “smart” enough to join their programs.
The term “Uncle Tom” it seemed to me was used more as a term to disparage wealthy blacks, but not necessarily “educated” ones. I gather that Rose’ argument is that poor kids are just as smart as wealthy kids, but just need a chance to prove themselves. Also, it suggests that black folks who would join a program that discriminates in that way are “Uncle Toms” because they prefer to associate with folks from privileged backgrounds.
Rose didn’t say that attending a white academic institution makes one less “black.” After all, the Fab Five didn’t join forces at Tennessee State Univ or Winston Salem, they went to the Univ of Michigan!
Also, he didn’t suggest that academic achievement makes one less “black.” He stated that he felt schools like Duke treated kids from the inner-city as if they weren’t “smart” enough to join their programs.
The term “Uncle Tom” it seemed to me was used more as a term to disparage wealthy blacks, but not necessarily “educated” ones. I gather that Rose’ argument is that poor kids are just as smart as wealthy kids, but just need a chance to prove themselves. Also, it suggests that black folks who would join a program that discriminates in that way are “Uncle Toms” because they prefer to associate with folks from privileged backgrounds.
Thanks for your comment! I realize that in editing down the post I cut out most of the discussion relating to the conversation that occurred on twitter. This is where the comments about PWIs and blackness come into play. But Rose and his fellow Fab 5 members discuss the idea that Duke didn’t recruit inner city kids because they weren’t smart enough. That is where my concerns about the correlation with academic achievement and being considered an uncle tom.
Thanks for your comment! I realize that in editing down the post I cut out most of the discussion relating to the conversation that occurred on twitter. This is where the comments about PWIs and blackness come into play. But Rose and his fellow Fab 5 members discuss the idea that Duke didn’t recruit inner city kids because they weren’t smart enough. That is where my concerns about the correlation with academic achievement and being considered an uncle tom.
Great post. As a black man, I grew up with people in my community who treated me with the attitutde that I was somehow an “uncle tom” or that my academic success made me less black. I actually did end up purposefully doing bad in school to “fit in.” Luckily, my educated mom and brother helped me get into a summer program at a top HBCU and being around other black (especially men) who wanted to succeed made me change my ways. Not blaming them as it was my responsibilty to handle that, but to be quite honest, it has kind of messed me up even to this day to a degree. While I feel bad that Rose is going to catch flak for this, even though he was only trying to express his views on how he felt at the time and not now, I hope this conversation does spark a fresh light on the conversation and hopefully it can 1) help us unlift each other more instead of tearing down and 2) Prevent kids who DO have the desire to be great (I think everyone has the potential) from restricting their talents.
Great post. As a black man, I grew up with people in my community who treated me with the attitutde that I was somehow an “uncle tom” or that my academic success made me less black. I actually did end up purposefully doing bad in school to “fit in.” Luckily, my educated mom and brother helped me get into a summer program at a top HBCU and being around other black (especially men) who wanted to succeed made me change my ways. Not blaming them as it was my responsibilty to handle that, but to be quite honest, it has kind of messed me up even to this day to a degree. While I feel bad that Rose is going to catch flak for this, even though he was only trying to express his views on how he felt at the time and not now, I hope this conversation does spark a fresh light on the conversation and hopefully it can 1) help us unlift each other more instead of tearing down and 2) Prevent kids who DO have the desire to be great (I think everyone has the potential) from restricting their talents.
@Tamara
I hear you. Things are much more complex than we want them to be sometimes. Twitter is great for a lot of stuff, but has limitations of space for nuanced discussion.
When I heard Jalen Rose’ comments, I thought about William Rhoden’s book ’40 Million Dollar Slaves.’ In it he covers how corrupt college basketball recruiters exploit black athletes. He calls the system the ‘conveyer belt.’ He lifts up one instance when they tried to get their manacles on Grant Hill but couldn’t because of his strong family unit. In short, his parents weren’t having it! Hill went to Duke in part because his parents felt the program had more integrity.
From that perspective, especially with the Fab 5’s relationship to a booster leading their Final Four accomplishments to be stricken from official record, the ‘Uncle Tom’ statement is problematic because it masks how poor black kids are tracked to programs that exploit their athletic gifts and undermine their potential legacies.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that Rose might have a point, but his “hatred” for Duke, I think, blinds him to a system that’s evil in design. He may have had the talent, ability, and communal support to thrive despite, but far too many brothers (and sisters) don’t and too many athletic programs take advantage of that.
@Tamara
I hear you. Things are much more complex than we want them to be sometimes. Twitter is great for a lot of stuff, but has limitations of space for nuanced discussion.
When I heard Jalen Rose’ comments, I thought about William Rhoden’s book ’40 Million Dollar Slaves.’ In it he covers how corrupt college basketball recruiters exploit black athletes. He calls the system the ‘conveyer belt.’ He lifts up one instance when they tried to get their manacles on Grant Hill but couldn’t because of his strong family unit. In short, his parents weren’t having it! Hill went to Duke in part because his parents felt the program had more integrity.
From that perspective, especially with the Fab 5’s relationship to a booster leading their Final Four accomplishments to be stricken from official record, the ‘Uncle Tom’ statement is problematic because it masks how poor black kids are tracked to programs that exploit their athletic gifts and undermine their potential legacies.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that Rose might have a point, but his “hatred” for Duke, I think, blinds him to a system that’s evil in design. He may have had the talent, ability, and communal support to thrive despite, but far too many brothers (and sisters) don’t and too many athletic programs take advantage of that.
Having been raised in an all black neighborhood and attended all white institutions on the main line in Philly i fully understand what jalen rose was trying to ir should i say accurately articulate. I was called white boy and uncle tom etc etc but it never bothered me bec i always felt fortunate to have those opportunities in life. I went to private schools all my life and not on scholarship but the hard work of my parents who were raised on the two worst parts of Philadelphia. They raised three boys all of whom went to private school but remained grounded in their personal relationships and all the while seeing friends who were just as capable of academic and athletic success yet didn’t achieve the noteriety or goals simply because they didn’t have those opportunities. Jalen rose was a deans list student and apparently was mature beyond his years but he’s entitled to that sentiment. It’s the same thing we faced in highschool when we played schools from the public league. Just make sure it’s understood that he was expressing his thoughts as an 18 yr old and he currently has a charter school which attempts to produce those very people to whom those comments were directed so he fully understands the reality but he was bitter because he saw in guys like hill the lifestyle he felt he missed out on because of the absence of his father. Anyway the documentary is fascinating.
Having been raised in an all black neighborhood and attended all white institutions on the main line in Philly i fully understand what jalen rose was trying to ir should i say accurately articulate. I was called white boy and uncle tom etc etc but it never bothered me bec i always felt fortunate to have those opportunities in life. I went to private schools all my life and not on scholarship but the hard work of my parents who were raised on the two worst parts of Philadelphia. They raised three boys all of whom went to private school but remained grounded in their personal relationships and all the while seeing friends who were just as capable of academic and athletic success yet didn’t achieve the noteriety or goals simply because they didn’t have those opportunities. Jalen rose was a deans list student and apparently was mature beyond his years but he’s entitled to that sentiment. It’s the same thing we faced in highschool when we played schools from the public league. Just make sure it’s understood that he was expressing his thoughts as an 18 yr old and he currently has a charter school which attempts to produce those very people to whom those comments were directed so he fully understands the reality but he was bitter because he saw in guys like hill the lifestyle he felt he missed out on because of the absence of his father. Anyway the documentary is fascinating.