When racists take centre stage

May 03, 2014 Editorial

The owner of a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) made some horrible comments to a woman with whom he once had a relationship and had it not been that he was indeed the owner of the club then the comments might not have been as scathing as they were.
Donald Sterling, the owner of the NBA basketball team, Clippers, appeared to harbour a dislike for Black people because when the woman V. Stiviano posted a photograph with former NBA star, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, Sterling reportedly said some of the most derogatory things a man could say about a particular race of people.
According to the recording he asked Stiviano not to bring black people to games that his team would be playing and that she should certainly not advertise her relationship with them. In the recording, Sterling continued that he provides money and houses for the black players in his team so there is no need for the emotion.
Such an outburst would have been the norm in the United States a few decades when racism was the order of the day. Of course, it was not seen as racism but as the way of life and what was considered the norm in a society where Black people were seen among the worst category of people.
There are still people around who can talk about attending basketball games by walking through one series of doorways as opposed to those used by White people. Games between Whites and Blacks were measures of supremacy. Of course, this was not only the case with basketball; it was so in every facet of life. The first Black Oscar winner, Hattie McDaniel, was confined to a segregated area in the hall when she went to collect her award.
We in this corner of the world have been regaled with the various reports of racism in other countries. We were forcibly reminded of the situation in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and in South Africa where the segregation of the races was known by the abominable term, apartheid.
In Guyana, we too have our fair share of racism although to the White world we are all Black people. Last week, a local media entity reported on a most dastardly act of racism in this country. There was this Indian Exposition being held in Guyana. According to the news reports, the promoters of the exposition were refusing to allow people of African ancestry into the venue.
To test the veracity of the report the media entity sent a person of Indian ancestry who gained entry without a hitch while the Black person was denied entry. Another media house picked up the incident and made the same discovery.
In the case of Donald Sterling, the United States with its predominantly White population, took condign action against Sterling. The NBA banned him permanently from every NBA game, banned him from even being near players in practice and from any function hosted under the guise of the NBA. Sterling is a pariah.
Sponsors withdrew their sponsorship of his team and all associated with Sterling let it be known that they wanted no part of him. In Guyana where there is this blatant act of racial discrimination the government has said and done nothing. The entity presenting itself as an exposition is still allowed to continue operation. It is as though the treatment of Afro-Guyanese by the holder of this exposition is a given.
In one corner of the country, people are whispering that the absence of the Ethnic Relations Commission has allowed this racist act to continue but this is arrant nonsense. For the ERC to act there would have had to be a complaint.
In this case there were the reports; the Ministry of Home Affairs should have gone into action because the Indian national who is running the exposition had to secure a work permit and a visa. These are revocable documents. The national should have been expelled. Instead, there is deafening since which can only signify that the government is condoning the racial bias against the second largest group of people in the country.

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When racists take centre stage

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