Remember the classic 1992 Dj Quick record “Jus Lyke Compton”? If you don’t, it’s a classic cut from the LA rapper where he talks about how many places in the country have adopted a part of the LA culture.
I recently heard the song, and it had me thinking about how influential Black athletes are throughout the world, and how their cultural impact has and can cause true positive change.
Since Jackie Robinson step foot on the first integrated baseball field in 1947, Black athletes in America have used their platform to raise awareness for equality… for not only Black Americans, but other marginalized groups as well.
In fact, dozens of Black American athletes have used their platform and fame to initiate change… from James Harden hosting youth basketball camps in Houston to Lebron’s charter school in Ohio.
Black athletes throughout the world have followed their lead to do the same. I recently visited the Dominican Republic and saw this firsthand.
James Harden is not only hosting basketball camps in Houston and Compton… but also in the Caribbean.
Speaking of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic’s contribution to global racism, like most majority non-White nations, is colorism. Colorism, which I’ll refer to as a pillar of racism, is a form of prejudice or discrimination usually by members of the same race based solely on complexion. Complexion, or someone’s skin tone, is used to establish a cultural standard of beauty… and the darker you are the worse the discrimination.
For decades, the majority Black and Brown darker-skinned Dominican’s were seen as a peg below and inferior to their lighter-skinned countrymen, who were also the minority.
And then came baseball.
From the likes of Pedro Martinez to David Ortiz, darker-skinned Dominican’s became such huge Baseball stars that they helped strip away deeply rooted colorism in their country.
Sounds familiar? Just Lyke Compton… or how the Black male athlete in the United States has become the standard in sports?
We might not see another athlete like Kaepernick use their career as a sacrifice to initiate change for a while; but, Black and Brown athletes from Lebron and his charter school to Manny Pacquiao being an elected Senator in the Philippines have been using their fame and influence to benefit others for a while.
And for the shut up and dribble crowd, athletes are going to continue to use their influence and social media platforms to not only restructure contracts, but to restructure society as well so that the playing field is equal… for everyone, regardless of their race, complexion, or socioeconomic status.
