The Worth of Humanity

Amid all this talk about Donald Sterling, the owner of the basketball team the Clippers, I've felt anger slowly building inside me. It's bad enough that Sterling made those comments in the first place but what made it worse was the seemingly lackadaisical response of many people. I expected boycotts. I expected basketball players, especially the Clippers to refuse to play until Sterling was adequately punished. What I got was lukewarm coverage and the bare minimum showing of defiance. What I got was not enough. At first I thought it was cowardice. 

But then I realized it was money. No one wants to sacrifice losing money by not holding a game. So the show goes on and a man who has clearly said some vile and racist words can go days without punishment or accountability. The money keeps pouring in. No one wants to lose out on a profit. 

But I feel like we are losing something greater. Our integrity. Our pride. When we are met with racism our reaction isn't big enough anymore. It isn't outraged enough. We aren't making enough of a scene. We aren't calling people out. Because let's face it, Sterling isn't the only one in a position of power who feels this way. He's just the voice we heard, making it all the more real. Meanwhile he takes our money and profits from our labor while he and others like him snub us. He doesn't mind owning a team where the majority of players are black but the very idea of interacting with one of them disgusts him

I hope that if there is ever the unfortunate moment where I am met with an employer or colleague who outwardly or inwardly despises me and people like me. But if I am met with such a situation and I become aware of it, I hope I don't chose money over the worth of my humanity; the integrity of my soul. No amount of money is worth being dehumanized. No amount of power has any hold over what makes me human. No man can take away the core of me. And no amount of chains, whether figurative or metaphorical can hold me down. I would hope that I would fight. That I would protest. I would hope that I don't just take my check in silence. 

I hope that I would be brave enough to take a stand.