The Issue of Racism and the Don Imus Case

This week our class discussion was based around the issue of race and sports. We particularly talked about issues concerning racism in sports. One of our readings discussed the case of Don Imus and Rutgers University Women’s Basketball team, which centers around the 2007 comment Imus made about the Rutgers team calling them “nappy headed hoes.”

The issue of racism often stems from one group of people and their feelings and actions towards another group of people that are different from them, but can racism exist among the same race? Don Imus’s comment not only addressed issues of racism, but sexism as well. But what about all of the other highly racist and sexist cues that exist in mainstream culture on an everyday basis? Hip hop, Rap, and R&B music often portray women as bitches and hoes through there lyrics and music videos. In fact, the lyrics sometimes explicitly use these words to describe women. We also see the “N” word used in lyrics, sometimes as a term of endearment and often times as a negative word to undermine another individual or group of people. Although Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B music are listened across all races and cultures, we often see African American artist on television and listen to them on the radio singing and rapping these lyrics which undermine other blacks and women. Is it okay for our society to deem Don Imus as a “racist”, but not hold accountable the rappers, actors, producers, and artists that profit off the sexist and racist comments they make on a regular basis simply because they are black too, or can we call artists like Snoop Dogg a racist and a sexist?

The Don Imus case reminded me of the movie “Bamboozled” by Spike Lee. In the movie, two African American men are hired by a television company to perform in blackface and promote all the black stereotypes. The first taping of the show had a mixture of black and white guests in the audience. Once the show began the White audience members were immediately taken back by the racist comments being made, and didn’t know whether they should laugh or not, but began to enjoy the show ONLY after they saw their black counterparts laughing at all the racist punch lines. The show became a success through the support of both the Black and White community.

Can we point the finger at other races and cultures for being racist on topics that we endorse within our own race ourselves? I challenge everyone reading this article to take a look at their lives and circumstances to see what it is you endorse and evaluate you true opinions and feelings on the situation.

Shantel Fair

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