opinion
On Jalen Rose’s ‘uncle Toms’
“challenging People to Shape
a Better future now”
B ernie f oSter
Founder/Publisher
B oBBie D ore f oSter
executive editor
t eD B ankS
advertising Manager
J erry f oSter
account executive
L iSa L oVing
news editor
B rian S timSon
reporter
D aViD k iDD
graphic Designer
m onica J. f oSter
Seattle office Coordinator
J uLie k eefe
S uSan f rieD
Photographers
“I
hated Duke. I felt like they
only recruited Black play-
ers that were Uncle
Toms.” -Jalen Rose
“Jalen seems to change the usual
meaning of those very vitriolic
words into his own meaning, i.e.,
blacks from two-parent, middle-
class families. He leaves us all
guessing exactly what he believes
today.” -Grant Hill
The story of Black America
comes from many sources; it is a
dilemma that has been analyzed
and captured in politically correct
language, gangsta rap, movies,
and just about every other genre of
communication and media. The
Grant Hill/Jalen Rose debate is an
extension of this story. It’s about
how the language of “we” from
the 60s became “us and them”
later. It’s about those left behind to
fend for themselves in the harsh
world of inner-city poverty. The
debate is necessary; and it could
prove to be a teachable, healing
moment if handled correctly.
Currently the state of
Black America stands at a
crossroads. The cross-
roads is not necessarily
about what’s possible—
it’s about the chasm
between those who have
remained behind in spite
of the tremendous strides
of many other Blacks. It’s
about:
1. Out of wedlock rates (72
percent)
2. Suicide as the third leading
cause of death
3. Homicide as the leading
cause of death for males
aged 13-34
4. 1/3 of Black males being
supervised in some form by
the judicial system
5. A nearly double unemploy-
ment rate for Blacks 15 per-
cent versus 8 percent for
Whites
L.e.a.D.e.r.S.H.i.P. 1 St
Executive Team Members
The axiom that lies before us is
this: We can do better; we simply
must.
Jalen Rose spoke from a deep
personal wound and exposed the
“Us vs. Them” mentality. What he
alludes to in this sports documen-
tary is a perfect microcosm and
window into the underlying reali-
ties our communities face. Blacks
have been handed the ultimate
identity crisis via the Willie Lynch
strategy. This still plagues us
today because we have allowed
dysfunction, distrust and our per-
sonal insecurities to become the
developers of our social norms.
Rose
played
at
Detroit
Southwestern, and those of us who
knew him, and lived in that envi-
ronment, understand where he is
coming from. Chris Webber’s
focus.
The struggle continues, and
those ‘without,’ frequently place
guilt upon those who ‘have.’ This
mental STRONG HOLD divides
Black America. The foundations
of many inner city youth are shat-
tered annually when they fail to
realize their athletic dreams.
They trusted their athletic ability
to deliver them out of the hands of
Are Black parents who raise their
children in less toxic environments for
access to competitive, quality
education ‘Uncle Toms’
their neighborhoods, devastating
home environments, and a life of
bitterness and resentment. These
aspirations were mostly based on
the previous and continued choic-
es of their parents. The introduc-
tion of sports—for most inner city
youth—serves as a hope for
single struggling parents to
find a way out as well. It’s a
tragedy and many of them
will fall victim to the system
based on their daily interac-
tions with friends, family,
and the perverse mindsets of
the men who infiltrate these
environments, where the
epidemic of fatherlessness is
the norm.
The remedy for this lies in
changing our perceptions. The
haves can look down on the have
nots and the have nots can’t Uncle
Tom-“ize” those who do better.
Are Black parents who raise their
children in less toxic environ-
ments for access to competitive,
quality education “Uncle Toms”?
Are Black parents who work mul-
tiple jobs, pursue education for the
betterment of themselves, children
and generations afterward, some-
‘Jalen seems to change
the usual meaning of
those very vitriolic words
into his own meaning
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story is different. He went to a pri-
vate school, was raised by both
parents, and grew up in an affluent
household. Rose was speaking
from the perspective of a young
Black man without an identity. At
times, young Black men struggle
during their pre- teen and high
school years. They have questions
on what, who and how they should
be as Black men. As a people we
all have different stories, back-
grounds, advantages and disad-
vantages …. but it’s the “We” in
this sentence that should be the
how less “Black”? To suggest this
was Rose’s intended viewpoint is
a matter of opinion—but it is the
implied perception. We shouldn’t
apologize for parents who attain
careers and education better than
previous generations. We should-
n’t apologize for living in neigh-
borhoods where barred windows,
graffiti and gunshots are not the
norm. This is a disservice to our
ancestors who fought and died for
us to be valued as “equal,”
“human” and not “property.” Why
would we deny ourselves this des-
tiny? Yet those of us who have
done well should not abandon the
sprawling masses of Blacks not so
fortunate. The solution is “we.”
Use the word frequently. The solu-
tion is a new dialogue where clas-
sism does not divide us. Join our
MC2U challenge; let’s continue
the conversation on how to
empower our communities.
this article was written by the
executive team Members of
l.e.a.D.e.r.S.h.i.P. 1St, all who
are
african-american.
the
l.e.a.D.e.r.S.h.i.P.
1St
executive team consists of:
Derrick Boles (President & Ceo),
Chris Cannon (at-risk Youth
Prevention Specialist) of Detroit,
Mi and San antonio, tX; nicole
hayes (Media and Production
Services Director) of topeka, KS
and washington, D.C., and hakim
hazim (intervention Specialist) of
topeka, KS and Boise, iD.
The Federal Budget? Don’t Cut Head Start
A
fter being urged by
President Obama to invest
in our nation’s students,
you would think our federal law-
makers would do anything they
could to preserve a program that
sets the foundation for a lifetime
of achievement, right? Wrong.
m atHiS ’ m inD
Judge Greg Mathis
proven itself to be one of the
United States’ most successful
social experiments and an efficient
If the Republicans were serious about
balancing the budget they’d take a
look at programs with inflated and
misappropriated budgets, starting with
the military
Once again, Republicans are mov-
ing to cut a program that helps
average Americans and, in this
case, specifically the poor.
The Head Start Program is yet
another social program the
Republican Party has targeted for
major cuts. Head Start provides
educational and health services to
low income children and their
families. Head Start has been one
of the most studied early education
programs since it began more than
40 years ago. The program has
Page 4 The Portland Skanner march 23, 2011
use of taxpayer dollars. Research
shows students who complete
Head Start do better both socially
and academically and are less like-
ly to drop out of high school.
Yet, Republicans want to cut the
program by more than 22-percent.
They say Head Start isn’t as effec-
tive as supporters claim. To be fair,
some studies show that achieve-
ment levels of some Head Start
attendees start to drop off after
first grade.
However, this could speak to the
quality of the school they enroll in
after the program. Additionally,
the program’s opponents say too
much money is spent maintaining
the program and not enough on
enrolling new students.
It’s not clear if the Republican
Party is against poor people, work-
ing mothers, low income children
or all three. All of the cuts it’s
leaders have moved to make have
been to programs the support and
empower the poor. If they are suc-
cessful in taking away the building
blocks that many have used to cre-
ate a foundation for future success,
America’s middle class will con-
tinue to shrink and the number of
families living below the poverty
take a look at programs with
inflated and misappropriated
budgets, starting with the military.
Sure, it’s critical that the U.S. has
a strong military in place but stud-
ies have shown that program is rife
with wasteful spending. It’s not
the only area where money is
either being wasted or being mis-
used. A good, honest budget scrub
will show the Republicans – and
Democrats – just which programs
can handle significant cuts.
If you believe in the power of
Head Start and can testify to how
it helped a child – past or present –
in your life, call your elected offi-
cials. Let them know that they
absolutely cannot cut Head Start.
If you believe in the power of Head
Start and can testify to how it helped
a child – past or present – in your life,
call your elected officials
line will increase.
If the Republicans were serious
about balancing the budget they’d
Our children’s – and our nation’s –
success depends on it.