“Coach
Prime”
and Russ are the faces of Colorado. It’s
been a long time comin’. Now the question
is: has the state of Colorado gone Black? Too
Black for millions of its White, Trump
lovin’ residents?
Do these two ebony gladiators
represent and personify Black Power?
Unbeknownst
to
many, historically Denver has, relatively
speaking now,
laid the “welcome mat” at the door to the
city for Black folks. In recent times, the
Denver metro area has been deemed a superficially-hospitable city for
Afro-Americans. Denver and its surrounding
suburbs along the Eastern front range which
comprises the Mile-Hi mini megalopolis, such
as Boulder, have even had Black Mayors. The
nation’s wealthiest Black person, Robert
Smith is a Denver native, who can be seen
fly-fishing at his Mountain hideaway,
one-time Black resort, Lincoln Hills. Conde
Rice is a part of Bronco's Ownership. Now,
how actually “Black” she is, that’s another
conversation. The NBA’s Nuggets have had a
Black coach, as have the NFL’s Broncos (for
a second) and the MLB’s Rockies.
Denver’s
historic
“Black neighborhood of Five-Points” – born of racist red-lining, was, for decades,
regarded as the “Harlem of the West,” based
on the relatively high standard of living
which was available to Black folks.
Homeownership, steady work in the private
sector and with the federal government, an
abundance of legitimate trade and commerce
conducted by Black merchants, shopkeepers,
and professionals, and quality public
education were notable during the separate
and unequal era of Jim Crow.
It sounds like Colorado is “woken,”
a colorblind land of enlightenment.
Nonetheless,
Denver
has remained an “outpost” where Black
popular culture is hardly showcased. Most
Black folks’ levels of comfort are challenged
in an environment where you can still be
“the only one” in a vast array of
situations: workplace, school, market, or
movie. And on another level: Black-owned
Restaurants, nightclubs and gathering spots
- we’ve but a hobbits’ handful - Black
entertainment’s top acts seldom come to
town. Top contemporary acts as well as the
“oldie but goodies” RB/Soul/Funk icons just
don’t consider Denver as a stop on the
“Chitlin’ n’ Fried Chicken circuit” -
there’s just not enough demand to make a
profit.
Perhaps
in
the last decade,
measurable
change has started to make Denver feel more
congenial
and agreeable
to Black folks.
However
today,
in the world of popular culture, i.e. the
sports world, NFL superstars Russell Wilson
and Deion Sanders have come to town: the new
head coach of the state’s flagship
University, CU, and the Bronco’s first
season Signal Caller for a team which
represents the entire Rocky Mountain region.
Two prominent individuals, with Deion being,
truthfully speaking, on the Mount Rushmore
of Black gladiators, arguably as influential
in the sports world as Ali, Tiger, and MJ.
Deion, to the serious sports fan, is an
iconic badass of unprecedented proportions.
He and his dual sports credentials require
no introduction nor elaboration - if you
don’t know, you
better
ask somebody….
Russell, who was before this season
arguably Hall of Fame-bound, and his
celebrity wife, Ciara, have brought to town
a new definition and visual of “uppity
Negroes” yet to be seen here in these parts.
The resentment, animosity, and contempt can
be heard and felt all around the town.
The
Broncos
have quite predictably struggled all year
with a weak supporting cast on offense, yet
fielding a quality defense which, despite
their prowess, can’t both stop the opposing
team and play offense.
Two-way players
ceased
to be in the golden era of the gridiron.
With
the
losses mounting, Russell has become the
vilified black quarterback. Many of those
calling for his head, wouldn’t, if he were a
blond-haired and blue-eyed
Great White Hope.
I’m just telling it the way it really is.
Look, if you know anything about
the NFL soap opera, if you know anything
about the history of America, and if you
know sports reflect the greater world, you
understand the contempt, disdain, animosity,
and hostility harbored by mainstream fans
for Alpha Male Black males.
They hate them.
Let’s
be
honest, mainstream White American prefers
“their” Blacks be quiet,
docile, compliant, obedient, dutiful,
willing, passive, submissive, deferential,
tame, meek, mild, lamblike, unassertive,
unresisting, yielding, cooperative,
amenable, accommodating, persuadable
manageable, controllable, manipulable,
easily manipulated, easily handled, like
putty in one's hands.
Look no further than Joe Louis, George
Foreman, Tiger, Charles Barkley, Shaq,
Herschel Walker, Clarence Thomas, Tim Scott,
Ben Carson who, to a degree, were all and
remain spineless, useful idiots who do the
bidding of the mean and angry White folks.
They
provide
cover, they aid and
abet the overtly oppositional WASP
establishment, and these Stepin Fetchit hand
puppets are financially rewarded for their
silence and inaction.
They
are
House-negroes, think Samuel L
Jackson’s “Stephen” in
Django
Unchained….
Just
because,
I say, and
here me now, just
because Russell Wilson dared to be a Black
Quarterback and because Prime Time dared to
be
a
flamboyant Prime-Time, play two sports
and silence the vastly green-eyed White male
critics who jealousy said he couldn’t and
shouldn’t - there is embedded and
everlasting animosity and contempt for both
these Black alpha males. They are uppity, don’t know their
assigned place.
And I’m as proud of both of them as
anyone could be, Thank you, gentlemen, I
love uppity Black folks.
Call
it
Black
Power.
Gentlemen, go-head with your badass
selves.
Have
their
critics tell it: Deion is an arrogant “field
Ni**er,” while Russell is a hifalutin’ and
uppity “House negro,” and neither understand
and stay in their
assigned place.
Both have obliterated the gutter-low
expectations White society had set for them.
They’re
livin’ like White folks, rich White folks.
And you know that incites and ignites those
right-wing Neo-Confederate sports fans.
For
decades
in the world of sports, Whites tried to
exclude Blacks. Then, when they couldn’t
stop the obvious talent from shining, they
did their best to keep the games Americans
play, the “National Pastimes,” as snow-white
as possible. When that didn’t work, and we
began “replacing” whites, they strived to
keep us in the non-thinking and
non-decision-making positions. We were to be
seen
but
not heard.
No showboating, no cultural expressions of
human emotions, no celebrations - act White,
play White,
try to be “White.”
Deion was the definition of
showboating, ala Ali, and millions of White
sports fans hated him just for that - he was
too Black. We’ll see if “Coach Prime” is too
Black for Colorado. I’d wager, if he wins,
the acceptance level will be high, but if
like Russell, if he ain’t cookin’ the rank
n’ file rednecks who populate the state will
be demanding his head. Please understand,
here in Colorado, and across the Rocky
Mountain Empire, i.e., Wyoming, Montana, the
Dakotas, Utah, and Idaho give or take a
couple of states, the Trumpian-minded and
bigoted 21st century America is everywhere.
The Trump-loving Confederacy is but
20 minutes outside of Denver, Albuquerque,
and Phoenix.
The
trump
flags are flown from the pickups and hoisted
high in front of homes in neighborhoods that
are 95% Caucasian. In those cities, sprawl is based on damn
near hysterical White
Flight, as
well as urban gentrification is, too, based
on White isolation and insulation from the
colored riffraff. These cities are as
segregated as cities in Mississippi,
Alabama, and South Carolina - and it’s not
by chance, coincidence, or happenstance -
it’s all strategic and deliberate my friend.
So
let’s
keep in mind, as Denver is projected as this
progressive colorblind mecca, the state of
Colorado has its fair share of White
Nationalists and separatists who are
fighting as we breathe to establish minority
rule in America for the next century or two.
And they hate what Deion and Russell
represent and are symbolic of - Black Power. They can’t wait
for them to fail.
Let’s not go too far with this
Colorado is color-blind crap, please, and
all recognize that blind hatred.
Oh yeah, throw that fist up, Black
Power!!! Ya’ gotta luv it baby!
