ESPN for social change?

I came across three articles written recently by LZ Granderson a columnist who writes for ESPN.com’s “Page 2” and wanted to share some insights from them and recommend that you read them. Although ESPN basically reports the news in the sports world it does from time to time tell of NBA poets fighting racism, Olympic athletes promoting sports in underdeveloped countries and in these articles racism, stereotypes and the “n-word”.

The original article “A word with consequences” is well written and insightful and from the follow up written by Granderson sparked interest, controversy and responses from around the world. In it Granderson talks about the “n-word” and uses snippets from interviews with white athletes and musicians about this controversial word. He makes a plea to the likes of LeBron James, Donovan McNabb and Carmelo Anthony to be role models and come out publicly against the use of the “n-word”. He says that athletes have more power than musicians which I am not totally sure about but any start to end the use of this word which has such a terrible history attached to it is a good one.

The second article (found with either the link to the first article or the final one) is a brief follow up to “A word with consequences” and University of South Florida football team which apparently due to the first article decided after debates amongst the athletes to stop using the word in their vocabularies as players and pedestrians.

The final article, “Blake ... or fake?” is about Granderson’s brief stay in Stockholm to cover a small tennis tournament and how he was a star in the eyes of the fans outside his hotel for a few days as he was believed to be either a tennis star such as James Blake or one of the Brazilian soccer (football) players staying at the same hotel. In this city which he said has very few people of color it is interesting to hear how he felt and was treated.

I don’t believe I have read any of Granderson’s columns before but if they are as thought provoking, honest, insightful and socially conscious as these few then I will be reading his work more often. I too have found that social change must often come from the groups being exploited, abused and repressed as they often have the strongest voice and most reason to change the ills being inflicted on them by individuals or society. I for one have always known that the “n-word” is not something to say or enjoy hearing and cringe each time I encounter it in text, music, TV, etc. I find lots of music to have great intoxicating beats but when I encounter this word I often choose to not listen to certain songs or artists again.

I would like to leave you with this quote from “A word with consequences” which sums up the recent use and abuse of the “n-word” and the disconnect amongst many that are using it with the history and baggage attached to this word.

"It's always n-this and n-that," he says. "On one hand it's just a word, but being raised in an environment where you're taught to never, ever use it because it's so painful, and then see the people who are supposed to be hurt by it use it with each other all of the time, I think sends a mixed message. I'm not using it, but nowadays you hear Latinos use it, young white kids use it. … It's ironic that as the world gets more and more politically correct, you hear that word more often, not less."