Very few black athletes are able to get to a point where they are simply looked at as athletes and not black athletes. In my opinion, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, among others, have reached this level in their respective careers. However, they have each used this avenue differently in their lives.
We discussed in class how Tiger refers to himself as "CA-BL-IN-ASIAN." By doing this, he is recognizing that he is a diverse person, coming from many different backgrounds (caucasian, black, Indian, Asian). Oprah referred to him as America's son (Cashmore, p. 621) and Cashmore states that he is the new face of America and helped bring about the new racial order in the United States. This is an order where racism has disappeared (p. 622). These are two more examples where Tiger seems to allow others to help him embrace the role of eliminating racial barriers.
To my knowledge, Jordan never has been very public about being a leader of the black race, or any controversial issue for that matter. He has continually been criticized at different points for being in a position to influence racial perceptions of people but refusing to do so. He has simply kept himself away from the issue. This has been completely different than his good friend Charles Barkley, who uses his platform as an ex-NBA player and celebrity to incite conversation about any controversial topic that he feels needs to be addressed. Many times, Barkley is concerned about racial issues.
Although Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan have gone about dealing with race in different matters, both have reached a point where they transcend race. People of all ages, races, genders, etc., are naturally drawn to both of them because of the successes they have had in their professions. It seems as if no one needs to bring up the fact that they are black when they accomplish one of their many feats. People do not discuss that Tiger might end up with the most majors for a "black golfer." They are just concerned that he might end up with the most majors of any golfer. The same could be said for Jordan. People only talk about how many championships he won or how he was the best basketball player of all time. This may have been easier to accomplish for Jordan because of the sport he played. In basketball, there is obviously a much greater black population in the professional ranks.
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Your comment about Jordan tending to avoid controversial topics is one to which I would like to respond. It is true that Jordan has been criticized for not taking a stand on certain issues--especially related to Nike and their alleged exploitation of factory workers in Southeast Asia. In another case, he was criticized for not speaking on behalf of a black candidate for office in North Carolina. I believe his response to the latter was that Republicans also bought sneakers.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, ESPN did a 5-part special on the subject of the black athlete. One segment was devoted to Jordan. I may have mentioned this in class, but in that segment, someone commented that "no one asks Larry Bird to be a spokesperson for the white community." The response was that the white community has not been oppressed as the black community has been. Jim Brown has been most vocal about Jordan's seeming unwillingness to take a stand on important issues. Brown has said that if he had that much money, he would be sure to invest significant sums in the black community.
It is true that people speak about the greatness of both Jordan and Tiger without referring to the color of their skin. That can be about their transcendence of race, or it may be about something else. Like you, I have to agree that "race still matters," which is what Cornel West says as well.