Turning to LeBron James is Not the Answer
by Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D. | Thursday, December 31, 2015
There has been a recent fire storm surrounding a grand jury decision not to indict the police officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black male. While the rage of blacks, based on the news of the “no bill,” is directed in a number of directions, a significant amount of it has been aimed at NBA star, LeBron James,” Allow me to provide a bit of context here. Certain people suggested that LeBron sit out games in the NBA in order to make a statement of protest concerning the Tamir Rice case. By all standards, LeBron’s response was less than impressive, as he suggested that he was not really up on the case, and he could not really comment on it.
I will not get into the validity, or the lack thereof, of the explanation that LeBron offered. I prefer to address the mindset that continues to lead a significant portion of the African American population to turn to certain figures for leadership. I want to be lucidly clear here. While there have been some well-noted black civil rights activists who were also notable celebrities, having a platform provided by fame and fortune does not automatically qualify a person to take on a cause. It is my personal opinion that the cause of fighting for justice for our young black males is much too big for LeBron James to shoulder on his own. In fact, it is too big for any one black man to handle.
We don’t need a man to lead us, we need men to take positions of leadership. Even when I look at LeBron James, I see a young man who did not have a father present during his developmental years, yet, all things considered, he has turned out to be a good father and husband — at least from what I can gather at a distance. It is the absence of a positive male presence on a grand scale that has created the passive behavior in young men like LeBron James. There are far too many black men who are unwilling to take a stand on anything of substance, from fear of the consequence. There are far too many black men who are comfortable with sitting back in the shadows and watching others go to war on their behalf.
LeBron’s celebrity and fame do not qualify him to be a leader or spokesman of the black collective, but he still may be a part of a movement in which black men unite to take a stand against injustice. You don’t need a famous name or a huge bank account to make an impact in the fight; you simply have to have a clear understanding of your purpose, and the passion associated with that purpose will drive you.
I work with youth on a regular basis, and I can tell you that authentic concern, invested by black men in our youth, our women and our current dilemma is our most powerful weapon.
Additionally, black people have to abandon the mindset of the single savior. We keep looking for the next Martin or Malcolm, when we should be embracing our right and responsibility to step up to the plate and make a difference ourselves. We must also stop asking others to do what we are not willing to do. If you are going to ask someone else to put their livelihood on the line, you better be willing to do the same. In fact, you should already be doing it before you demand it of someone else. As black men, the more we walk it out, the less we will have to teach it and scream it to the masses. No one is going to follow you into a war that you are not actively participating in.
So, turning to LeBron James is not the answer to the injustice in the Tamir Rice case. First of all, this is so much bigger than Tamir Rice, John Crawford, Eric Garner, Mike Brown or Trayvon Martin. While the assault seems to be of a physical nature on the surface, it is far more cynical — existing as a mechanism of psychological warfare. Relatively speaking, white police officers are not killing black males at a rate that will serve to diminish the black race. There are other mechanisms in place that contribute to that agenda. What the senseless slaughter of young black men by police officers does is serve as an act of terror, much in the same way as lynching during the Jim Crow era.
It is actually a weapon that incites fear and hopelessness. It sends that message that we can do anything we want to you, and nothing will happen. It is a powerful, yet subliminal suggestion of black inferiority — suggesting that black lives do not matter as much as white lives. The ultimate terror message being sent by these federally sanction gang members is “know your place and get into it.” This will continue until there is a consequence assigned to this behavior that renders it unprofitable. They are making their presence felt in our world, and until we make our presence felt in theirs, our suffering will continue. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D.