Black-on-Black Lines

Man, I hate doing this. Picking sides. Sometimes it feels so damn 7^th grade-ish. But this time, it’s in order. ESPN analyst Scoop Jackson, a friend of mine, and Jason Whitlock, an ESPN figure and Kansas City Star writer, sit at opposing ends on an issue very dear to my heart and wallet. I side with Scoop, not because I have his cellphone number, but because the man is right with his viewpoint. Allow me to explain…

A few weeks back, Scoop wrote a blinds-pulling piece on the lack of Black sports editors with Associated Press Sports Editors newspapers (i.e. the country’s biggest dailies). He called the story the “1.3 Percent Doctrine,” another way of saying that just four out of 305 sports editor positions (these are the guys who basically tell the writers what stories to write) around the country were held by African-Americans. While sprinkled with Scoop’s trademark A.D.D.-tempered vignettes disguised as sentences, Jackson makes it plain that he feels racism is the main culprit in the terrible math in editorial rooms. But rather than merely sit back on some “Ohh, the master is holding us back again” type of mess, Scoop reaches out to a couple of high-profile blacks, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sports editor Garry Howard and Denver Post writer Marc Spears, to get their take on why others can’t get on their level. “Owner indifference” and “You hire who looks like you” echoes come from both. This makes sense. It’s sad as hell but it makes sense. Scoop’s calling out racism, ignorance and sheer laziness almost all in the same breath.

Whitlock, on the other hand, belittles Scoop’s comments –mind you, Jackson gives Whitlock a shout in his piece for being one of the African-Americans participating on this uneven playing field- as “juvenile” and nearly laughable. What ultimately proves most hilarious is Jason Whitlock’s scholarly coon-ish behavior. And no, I’m not talking about Ha! Ha! funny. This is that “Oh my! This brutha’s got it bad” type of funny. In his Kansas City Star rebuttal to Jackson’s piece, Jason claims, while institutionalized racism exists, most of the problem with the 1.3% is that the other 98.7% doesn’t have the get-up-and-go to apply for the positions. [Enter sarcastic chuckles here.] Our jolly ole friend gives an example of black apathy by recounting his days as a student with the Ball State Daily News in 1990, when he and his white constituents attempted to recruit black writers to no avail. A couple of flaws in your story there, Whitlock: A) You’re talking about Ball State University in 1990! How many black folk did you approach, six?! B) The nerve of you to compartmentalize an entire race off your single experience in Ass Crack, Indiana.

Pardon the language, y’all, but this dude really is on some other stuff with this column. Of course, the reason the fussed-over number isn’t 15 or 20% is because of more than skin color. Experiences, across-the-spectrum knowledge and sacrifice have something to do with it, too. But you won’t get me to believe for one second that a lot of this isn’t as simple as black and white.

I’ve applied for three assistant sports editor positions over the past year or so, all in decent-sized Georgia cities. Two didn’t give me the time of day. No shocker there. One, The Brunswick News near Savannah, offered the courtesy email detailing that my resume would be put in the pile with all the others. I have no problem with that. Verizon bills, gas bills, doctor bills affect blacks as they do others. I know there are some qualified white guys, competing for the same slot on the masthead as I am. But just because they look like the managing editor doesn’t mean they deserve the newsroom desk any more than I do. All I’m asking for is that opportunity to prove I’m as gifted, as punctual, as creative, as team-oriented as the next guy. And Jason, really that’s all Scoop Jackson was asking for, too.