'Flagging' the Incomplete Mission

In the news cycle recently, we have seen that the State of Mississippi has decided to remove the confederate symbol from it's state flag. Much of the recent debate concerning this flag was resuscitated (it has always been an issue) by Mississippi State University football player, Kylen Hill, who via Twitter stated “Either change the flag or I won’t be representing this State anymore 💯  & I meant that”. This very statement was very poignant as the United States is grappling with its conscious as the issue of 'race' and the status of so-called 'blacks' in the public sphere has increasingly come under scrutiny in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Brionna Taylor and many other individuals at the hands of law enforcement officers. In the age of instant information and social media, the logical outgrowths of these deaths created a call for a national reckoning which leeches into the very foundations of this country. Protests, the forcible removal of statues dedicated to individuals that contributed to the 'racial' biases that plague the United States, municipalities listening to the calls of citizens to redistribute funds from the police departments to public health organizations, to even police departments themselves, such as in Minneapolis, Minnesota, being subject to outright disbandment. It does not end there. With COVID-19, a polarizing President and a buckling national economy as a backdrop, high profile industries in which so-called 'blacks' are used as disposable labor in a scheme that rakes in billions of dollars in revenues annually (i.e. the NCAA and professional sports leagues), the players themselves are now utilizing the leverage being presented to them....well not the NBA or NFL because they folded.

Hill did an outstanding thing in raising awareness about the plight young athletes in the Southern states are often saddled with, and used what I term 'situational leverage' to his and many others' advantage. If one is a highly coveted high school recruit among the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference or the Big12, they have choice among a myriad of programs that reside in the same region for the most part. In these regions, the predominant attitudes of so-called 'whites' towards 'blacks' can be detrimental and challenging. These challenges are often offset by the prospects of having the opportunity to play professionally; the conferences have their own television networks and national exposure. If a team is successful and a young player stands out on the stage provided, it is an EZ-Pass to at least get an invite to a professional camp. Many of the schools have long and rich traditions of athletic success which is also a very intriguing option; a chance to play for National Championships and play with the best of the collegiate athlete add to this. Players that have done the Andy Dufresne and swam through a mile of crap and came out clean on the other end come back and share their experiences. It is a form of camaraderie that players value.

However, many athletes that play in the aforementioned conferences know full well what the opinions of many so-called 'whites in the respective states are. "You can win a title or beat a rival for my school, but you cannot be a leader in my business", "You are like a son to me, but you cannot marry my daughter", "I'll let you off the hook if you screw up so long as you can play...I don't care about your well being or your future, we can win NOW." Think about how many multi-million dollar contracts were signed by coaches who adhere to this train of thought. I needn't go further than the blind eyes given to guys like Cecil 'The Diesel' Collins, Lawrence Phillips, and Aaron Hernandez who had their illegal and dangerous behaviors constantly excused in the interest of winning games...look where all three are now. I haven't even gotten to the flag matter. THIS is about the attitudes. Recently we have seen coaches reprimanded, publicly flogged and even fired for the language they used towards the players or the affiliations they made off the field, which work in direct conflict of the opportunities for a fair and equitable society for their players. While it is noble that Mississippi has taken down that flag, it is mindful to remember that a politician in essence stated that it was the right thing to do because "the eyes of the nation are on us." So, the thousands of people over the decades that filed petitions to have the flag removed due to its meaning towards people who are citizens and participate as tax payers in the civic sphere didn't really matter until the nation was looking at your state. It's not the right thing so long as national eyes are not seeing or acknowledging it...I get it. This is not about a flag, but an attitude. It is also about keeping outside interests from divesting from the state's economy, as the NCAA had already stated that monies that have been flowing into the revenue stream will stop unless the flag was changed.

Let me drop this on the table: The rising athletes of today, nor members of their generation, can change the attitudes of people. Attitudes change under conditions, not because there is an outcry. Just because the state flag is down, doesn't mean that they will no longer confront the politics of 'race'; emboldened people who believe a symbol of their pride has been lost (which I don't understand, because in America, we celebrate the WINNERS, not the losers) will want their say, folks that continue to adhere to well entrenched cultures or even the rank and file biases that exist in normal everyday American life. Kneeling and public spectacles are basically Vaseline on a gunshot wound. In order to send a meaningful message, the athletes should consider divesting from these schools entirely. Exercise a form of leverage that makes people look at themselves and their beliefs as they watch a bunch of scrubs get demolished every week. When teams no longer pull in revenue to justify their standing in a revenue sharing venture as conferences are currently constituted, they get booted. When you are broke, you tend to look in the mirror...a lot. Right now, these guys have the power to bring down entire conferences. Attitudes will not change if the players come back and fortify these institutions even further while still not even getting their proper slice of the revenue pie, which in itself is an issue for another time. A flag is but a meaningless symbol standing by itself that really carries no weight; however, if there are people, a culture and systemic belief paradigm behind it, it is that which gives the flag the power and creates vitriol and fear.

This article by no means is an indictment on the Southern states; as the attitudes towards 'blacks' exists throughout the country, albeit with different dynamics...I ran out of Massachusetts because of certain attitudes directed towards me because of the color of my skin. It is what it is...for me. Conversely, this is not to deny the existence of a 'pull' that many athletes in Southern states have towards staying and playing for a state-based university or within their region of origin. There are strong elements such as culture, family, familiarity and a connection to one's identity to consider as well. It is hoped these athletes do not adopt the principle that they can change people, because in most cases, people either change themselves through introspection or because they have to change. My observations of human behavior dictate that when told they have to change, humans tend to get even more dug in with what they believe. Dropping a flag does not drop the attitude; it is a good start, but an incomplete mission.