The News Argus, April 2002
& EDITORIALS
From the Editor
Athletics aren't the only way out
By James Jones Jr.
ARGUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Recent controversy has sur
rounded former NBA super-
star Charles
Barkley and his
decision to
pose as a slave
breaking chains
on the cover of
Sports
Illustrated. A
lot of young
people were JONES
shocked that Sir Charles
would make such a move, rea
soning that he set blacks sev
eral years back to slavery
times.
However, it is Barkley's
quote, which starts on the
cover next to his controversial
picture and continues inside of
the magazine that really needs
to be paid special attention.
Barkley says that, "Every
black kid thinks the only way
he can be successful is through
athletics. That is a terrible
thing because that ain't even
one tenth of what we are"
But if we are not athletes,
what are we? We as young,
bright black college students
may find this question hard to
answer because we are seldom
told and we rarely read about
successful blacks outside of
what we see in the media.
We turn to media sources
where we see highly paid ath
letes and we aspire to be like
them and make their salaries.
However, there are numerous
examples of successful blacks
that are not only athletes, but
also make equal or more
money than athletes.
Mae Jemison, the founder
and chief executive officer
(CEO) of The Jemison Group,
which focuses on the benefi
cial integration of science and
technology into our everyday
lives, took the road less trav
eled by young blacks. Before
her current CEO position, she
participated in one of the
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration's
(NASA) space programs.
Through hard work and very
stiff competition, Jemison
became the first African-
American woman to enter
space in September 1992.
Earl Shaw, the inventor of
the free electron laser (PEL) is
another example. He has con
tributed to the advancement
of science and technology by
creating a technique in which
a beam of relativistic electrons
can pass through a periodic
magnetic field in a way that
conventional lasers cannot.
Although it took him ten years
of persistence and diligent
research to create the PEL, he
See JONES,
Page 6
Black Professional
I
Argus illustrations by
Jamil Steele
Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845 -1926) was
America’s first black professional
nurse. Mahoney is known not only for
her outstanding personal career but
also for her exemplary contributions
to local and national professional
organizations.
Is anyone buying into Barkley's rhetoric?
By Anthony Nelson
ARGUS GUEST COLUMNIST
Charles Barkley and
Roots, or maybe Barkley
and Aniistad, come to
mind upon viewing a
recent issue of Sports
Illustrated..
Barkley is bare-chested,
wearing only white knick
ers. He is breaking away
from shackles that bound
his neck and wrists, with
the tag "Charles
Unchained" in bold red.
Barkley's wife and close
friends (including Michael
Jordan and Tiger Woods)
did not necessarily back
the idea of putting this
image on S/'s cover, nor
do fans understand to
what degree "Sir Charles"
needs to be unchained
when he charismatically
expresses himself regard
less of time or place.
He has always been
pretty much unchained
when it comes to express
ing his thoughts. Maybe
the picture symbolizes
Barkley's views and theo
ries concerning minorities
and their abilities bar-ath-
letics.
Aside from his normal
punch lines, in this SI
article Barkley tosses
another penny or two that
should be picked up and
flipped by the minority
communities. Already
successful with money
and with spotlight readily
available, he says that
"sports are a detriment to
blacks, not a positive. You
have a society now where
every black kid in the
country thinks the only
way he can be successful
is through athletics.
People look at athletes
and entertainers as the
sum total of black
America." This may be a
discreet attempt for
Barkley, a republican, to
jump start a career in poli
tics as he says he will do
in the near future.
He already has the sup
port of Marty Connors,
the chairman of the state
of the GOP, and Sabo
Waggonner, a republican
representative, in his
quest to run for the gover
nor of Alabama, his home
state.
They see it as a great
way to sell their ideals to
the African-American
community, and Barkley
will have no problem
relaying a message that
accompanies his beliefs as
well. That is why the gen
eralization that the base of
African-American success
stems from athletics or
entertainment hold no
authenticity. But too many
of our minority youth
who desire to be the next
Kobe Bryant, Marshall
Paulk or Venus Williams,
view the statement as
reality. We are all aware of
the success and fame that
a sports or entertainment
career can bring. The
many pitfalls that catch
those striving to obtain
such status are also appar
ent.
As easy as it is to
observe these success sto
ries for athletes, it is just
as easy to overlook those
successful neighbors of
ours who happen to be
teachers, fire fighters and
priests. Maybe "Citizen
Barkley" is expounding
on this view when he
poses for this picture and
makes this observation.
Uncle David Stem, the
commissioner of the NBA,
and other owners of
leagues live well on the
money that our idols and
role models produce for
them. Much of their job
comes from creating more
rules for us to follow
while playing. OK, the fee
for our talents has risen
tremendously, but until
there are more African-
American or minority
owners in the sports
world, our song and
dance really has not
changed; it has just
changed pace. Before one
gets upset, 1 must be
prompt in saying that
maximizing our God-
given athletic ability is a
positive, and I support all
who do. The negative side
that Barkley may be
speaking of is the failure
for these successful indi
viduals to return some of
the benefits of those who
reach for these levels.
Barkley establishes lesser
known charities, which he
directly transfers money
from his pocket. The
Charles Barkley
Foundation has given
money to Leeds High and
Auburn, his two alma
maters. The difference
between Barkley and
Jordan or Woods is that
his image is not squeaky
See BARKLEY,
Page 6