Conclusion jumping, of a sort
While listening to sports-talk radio this afternoon on the Houston ESPN affiliate, I heard a popular locally originated broadcast of the Calvin Murphy show.
Mr. Murphy, a former star performer for the NBA's Houston Rockets, is a bit of a bomb thrower, and spends quite a lot of time talking about racial issues. He's interesting enough that this no longer bothers me nearly as much as it used to. Quite an entertaining gentleman.
For the past several days, they've been doing live remotes at one of the local Dave & Buster's restaurant/entertainment joints, and have had live audience participation in addition to their regular phone callers.
During one of the live audience segments, a guest took the mike and explained that, as a young black man (27 years old), he'd experienced the sting of racial prejudice for most of his life. He claimed (and sounded) to be well-educated, was planning a career in the ministry, and spoke clearly and eloquently about the times in Oklahoma where, while at white friends' houses, he was asked to sit on the floor rather than on the furniture, and of other times, while working in child-care environments (at his church?), where he was reassigned at the request of white parents whose kids were intimidated by his presence.
Calvin Murphy was, metaphorically at least, playing along and pointing out that "See? Even young, well-educated black men are still subjected to unfair discrimination based solely on their race", or sentiments to that effect.
Calvin's #2 (the actual radio guy who works full time at the station), Dave Tepper, to his eternal credit, stepped in and said, (paraphrased from memory):
"Pardon me, but I'd like to ask a question, as the designated white guy here. You're a pretty large man - about how much do you weigh?"
To which the young man allowed as how he tipped the scales at somewhere between 470 and 500 lbs.
After which, they went a commercial break and, I presume, discussed amongst themselves their certitude that, sure, yeah - he was considered intimidating to small children and was asked to stay off the furniture because he was black.
By those nasty Oklahomans.
[wik] Not directly related, but in the same galaxy
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According to the National Vital Statistics Reports (Vol. 47, No. 28), African American life expectancy is 70.2 years, compared to an average of 76.5 years for all population groups. The difference in life expectancy is even more striking among African American men, who have a life expectancy of only 66.1 years, compared to the national average of 73.6 years for all men. With this said, shouldn't the young black man in the audience actually be considered quite old -- but maybe I'm missing the point.
I speak from a rather naive POV, seeing that I'm neither old nor black but I find it rather amusing when the younger black generation speaks of racial prejudice in the context of what they actually coin prejudice. I seem to remember reels upon reels of news footage in the mid 60s of the Watts Riots whereby prejudice was imposed upon it's inhabitants, rioters and bystanders alike. This my friends is prejudice. Told to sit on the floor or not to teach the white kids, not quite in the same boat. Telling this guy who is tipping the scales at 400 pounds to dress in red and walk around selling Kool-Aid -- although slightly cruel, still not prejudice.
I love how the color of his skin proceeded his weight in this story. It's nice to see the 'ole racial litmus test still alive and kicking.