Trump: My Worst Nightmare

 Tuesday, November 8, 2016 will forever stand out in my mind (and not for any good reasons).  During the 2016 presidential election cycle, I naively brushed off the notion that Trump might win.  I ran down a laundry list of reasons why he would not win: (1) he is not qualified; (2) he is racist, sexist, and misogynistic (I’m sure I left off a few other descriptors); (3) Republicans won’t support him because they too see that he is not a worthy candidate; (4) he was a reality star—doesn’t that exclude you from running?; and (5) “the hair.”  I was sure of my position; I knew I was right.    

   The week leading to the election, I started feeling differently.  I had the same feeling in the pit of my stomach when I knew the principal called my dad to tell him about my behavior at school.  I knew an ass whooping of epic proportions was soon to come.  Either way, I listened to political pundits, I watched interviews of the candidates, and I read articles written about both candidates.  All of these acts made me feel worse.  I distinctly remember one interview that made me realize that Trump might win.  In this interview, the interviewer discussed a phenomenon called “lean in.”  Lean in is all about the voters who were not proclaiming to the heavens that they would vote for Trump.  These were the closet supporters of Trump. If you asked them whom they were planning to vote for, they would say something like: “I don’t know; both candidates are bad.”  Or, they might lean close to you (yeah, in your personal space) to say: I’m voting for Trump.  This phenomenon has forever changed the face of American Politics and the world as we know it.

     Trump is a narcissist.  He is arrogant.  He is overtly racist.  And sexist.  His campaign centered on these hateful concepts.  Trump ran his campaign as the Anti-Obama candidate.  In every interview, Trump distanced himself from President Obama, and his administration.  He was resolute to prove that he is not a politician and that he will “Make America Great Again.”  He insulted women, Muslims, African Americans, disabled folks, President Obama and Hispanics.  He talked about grabbing women by their vaginas.  He spewed rhetoric about Muslims being terrorists.  He repeatedly stated that African Americans live in the “inner city.”  He blatantly mocked disabled citizens.  He refused to acknowledge that President Obama was born in the United States of America.  He talked about building a wall to keep Hispanics out of this country. Sadly, this type of rhetoric enabled him to accomplish his goal.  This is an indictment and conviction of this country.

    Trump focused on only one segment of the population: White men.  He did not even make a half-hearted effort to appeal to minorities because he knew he did not need their vote in order to win.  He knew that if he could get the bulk of the white male population, which represents 31% of the U.S. population, he would have enough to win.  He knew that if he could get this group to support him, they would be able to have some influence over their wives, sisters, and other women in their lives.  It was truly a white wash strategy, which happened to also be a winning strategy.  It showed that Trump does not intend to unite this country along party lines, racial lines, or any other line.  To use an analogy: Trump went through 200 million packs of Starburst and only ate the pink ones.  He did not even open or taste the yellows, or the reds. You know why?  Because he did not have to.

    So how bad can Trump really be?  I believe he can be historically bad.   He will have the power to pen Executive Orders.  He will be able to veto bills.  As the Commander-in-Chief, he will have passcodes to our nuclear warheads.  He can roll back the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare (ironically, he is already backing off of this position).  Because his party control Congress, it should be much easier for him to assert his influence and power.  That said, I still do not believe that republicans will go for any and everything that he might propose.  One of the biggest concerns many people have is that he will be able to appoint at least one justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.  This appointment of a conservative justice has the potential to change issues that impact minorities such as: voting rights, abortion and affirmative action.  Because justices are appointed for life, Trump's appointment(s) could be the gift that keeps on giving (Heavy sarcasm).  Stay tuned.

     Despite the many political fires Trump’s presidency could ignite, many people are more concerned about social issues.  Because Trump ran his campaign as the Anti-Obama candidate, many of the most hateful, racist and evil people have rallied around him.  These people are emboldened and feel that they are taking the country back from the hands of its first African American president.  Since Trump won the election, I have seen many examples of overt racist acts.  These acts have been perpetrated against the very groups Trump criticized and disregarded during his presidential election. 

To generalize, I guess these people feel that if the president elect can make racist, sexist, homophobic and otherwise discriminatory comments, why can’t they?  One thing this group of people better realize is that this is not 1865, nor 1945.  People in this country have been enslaved, raped, brutalized, beaten, wrongfully imprisoned and murdered for the right to be treated with respect and dignity.  It would be a huge mistake for these people to think that folks will be terrorized.  These folks better remember that the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment acts as a shield and a sword for all citizens.  In laymen’s terms: they better get some Act Right about themselves because we are never going back to the Jim Crow Era, and we are certainly not going back to slavery.

Peace

The Birth of a Nation: Shifting the Slave Narrative

I grew up in what was the Antebellum South.  During my childhood, I did not learn about the details of Nat Turner’s Rebellion.  I do, however, recall one of my teachers mentioning the rebellion in passing.  I did not know the rebellion was led by a black slave.  Ironically, or maybe not so ironically, I recall learning about John’s Brown’s anti-slavery efforts—I wonder why?  In the fall of 2000, I finally discovered details regarding the rebellion in an African American Studies class.  Prior to this class, I had learned about the typical African American heroes including: Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is funny how much of Black folks’ history is not taught in most schools.  If you care to learn about this piece of U.S. history, you have to take a class during college.  From the very beginning, Black folks have made an immeasurable impact on this country, despite, in many instances—being considered less than a man or woman. 

Seeing Nat Turner’s story on the big screen is profoundly important, impactful and powerful.  His story is so much more than a typical slave narrative.  The typical slave narrative shows Black people being beaten, raped, demeaned, tortured and killed.  I hoped a director would write, produce and release a movie that truly shows the fighting spirit of Black people.  I mean we just had a Black president for eight years, so anything is possible, right?  Although I grew tired of the same slave narrative, I watched movies and read articles and books about the time period.  I did so because I believe history is important, and without understanding your history, it is hard to understand where you are going and why you are going.  Without having an understanding of slavery, reconstruction, and Jim Crow, how can you truly understand the historical significance of the times we are living in now?  And the similarities—albeit couched in a different oppressive system. 

I was cautiously intrigued when I heard Nate Parker was making a movie about Nat Turner.  However, I had questions: will the story accurately portray Nat’s story, or will some non-black person be given credit for the rebellion?  Before The Birth of a Nation was released on the big screen, it was lauded at the Sundance Movie Festival.  I even heard there was a bidding war between major movie labels for the right to release the movie.  I thought: this might actually happen!  The idea of a Black man playing the lead role about slavery is no small feat.  Knowing that Nate Parker, and not Denzel Washington, or Will Smith—both well-known Hollywood names—would be the lead was very interesting.  As I dug deeper, I learned that Parker actually took two years away from acting to raise money for the film.  He put up $100,000.00 of his own money, which was, in his own words, “all he had.”  That is admirable.  How many people are willing to risk it all, in the face of naysayers, to see a dream come true? 

Sexual assault allegation.  Trial.  Acquittal.  Prior to Parker raising the money to finance his film, I had never heard about his personal life (nor did I care).  What I knew: he was a talented actor who had played in one of my favorite movies—The Great Debaters.  Outside of that, I knew nothing.  Indeed, I believe that his personal history would have remained a relative mystery had he failed at raising money for the movie.  But, alas, he raised the money.  He wrote the script.  He starred in it.  He secured a stellar cast of Black actors.  Once all of these pieces fell into place, I started hearing about a sexual assault case from 1999.  I am not here to argue the merits of that case.  However, he was acquitted of all charges stemming from the 1999 case in 2001.  In this country, when a person is acquitted, that person is typically viewed as being innocent.  People don’t typically demand an apology from someone who has maintained his innocence.  Certainly, his or her history is not publicized just before the release of a major motion picture.  The strategic release of information regarding his case was too carefully planned to be a coincidence.  It was clearly a ploy to derail his project.      

A few days ago, I watched an interview of Nate Parker on the Breakfast Club.  During this interview, Nate talked about his movie being bigger than him and his character.  He talked about how this movie should make (all) people feel uncomfortable, but how he hoped that it would serve to encourage people to have open discussions about race, privilege, and oppression. In 50 years, I believe people would look back to these times we are living in now.  People will see the similarities between 2000s and the 1960s.  In the 1960s, Black folks were being oppressed, and abused.  In 2016, Black men are still being imprisoned and murdered by law enforcement—often without just provocation. If race relations do not improve, there is no telling what people will do.  That should make everyone uncomfortable.  We should all be thinking of effective methods to deal with these issues before it is too late.  By no means am I saying The Birth of a Nation is the answer to these issues.  However, after seeing the movie, I hope people will finally feel compelled to engage in honest discussions about privilege and oppression. 

The 2016 version of The Birth of a Nation tells a very powerful story.  The plot is good and the acting is believable.  This movie was overdue and I am pleased that it was released.  It shifted the traditional slave narrative—albeit temporarily—to show that Black folks fought courageously against the system of bondage.  We were not all docile.  Many of us fought to the death for the freedom we enjoy today.  I would recommend the movie to anyone—regardless of race, gender, or age.

Peace

Freedom of Expression: Colin Kaepernick and the 1st Amendment

The United States of America is supposed to be the land of opportunity for all citizens.  In this “post-racial” society, race should no longer even be a category to be considered.  If you believe this society is a reality, you can stop reading right now—save yourself some time and frustration.  Freedom of expression falls under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution’s Freedom of Speech.  This right is supposed to be a cornerstone of this country.  An individual’s freedom to speak freely is what separates our government from dictatorships where expressing views would often lead to death.  In case you are wondering: this right includes an ability to express an unpopular view.  It should not be restricted because some people do not approve.  So long as the expression is not illegal, the conduct is afforded unbridled constitutional protection. 

“Controversy”

People are literally up-in-arms because Colin Kaepernick decided to exercise his fundamental right of expression. At its most fundamental level, people are upset because a man chose not to stand when many other people chose to do so.  Colin did not burn, spit on, or otherwise defile the Flag (this is illegal).  He did not decide to go streaking during the playing of the National Anthem (this too is illegal).  

The emotions regarding his action have been very high.  I have actually seen videos of people burning Colin’s jersey to demonstrate their disapproval of his action.  I have also seen members of the Armed Forces supporting his action, which is very telling.  If they—the protectors of this country—can see his point (notice: i did not say agree with his point), why is it that media pundits and other people refuse to do so?  For those who choose to focus on his action as opposed to the cause he is speaking against—injustice—you are missing the larger point.

I’m Not Standing

Colin is not the first black man to refuse to stand during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner.  I am pretty certain he will not be the last one either.  Before Colin, there were a number of famous black men who took stands against injustice.  To be clear: Colin is doing just that.  He is not un-American; he is challenging a system that has over promised and under delivered for minorities in this country for many, many years.  His stance is bringing attention to the many injustices perpetrated against minorities.  His position makes me think about one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “ An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Because he is a millionaire should he remain perched on top of his pile of money (a la Scrooge McDuck) as if people of color are not suffering grave injustices in this country?  Colin has decided to use his celebrity status to make a statement.  Also, he has pledged the first 1 million dollars of his NFL salary to community organizations.  In an era where obsession with personal branding and popularity on twitter are paramount, it is admirable to see someone willing to sacrifice for the greater good.  Now, if we could only get more famous black folks to become more socially conscious.  I’ll digress for now. 

What Have you Learned?

The Star Spangled Banner is this nation’s national anthem.  With that said—does it represent the citizens of this land?  If you are unsure, let me provide a definitive answer to the question: NO.  The song was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 after the U.S. was defeated by the British in the Battle of 1812.  Some context: In 1814, black people were still slaves; they were disenfranchised; and they were considered 3/5 of a human being.  This was not a good time for black folks.  The first verse of the song is what most of us learned in elementary school.  The first verse is not offensive, but there is a third verse.  This third verse, as written by Key, mocks the slaves who ran for their lives. See an exerpt from the third verse below:

No refuge could save the hireling and slave,

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave,

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

As a citizen, reading this verse should evoke some emotion. That feeling might be anger, or surprise, or sadness.  Either way, you should have a different appreciation for what Colin is standing against—injustice.  The focus really should not be on his chosen method of expression.

Back to Colin who I am proud to say is a fellow member of my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  Speaking in business terms—he has nothing to gain by making his decision.  I seriously doubt he will receive new endorsements; he will not be invited to host the ESPY’s; he may very well find himself unemployed.  If this happens—and it is not out of the realm of possibility—he would not be the first casualty of war in the battle against injustice. 20 years ago, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, an NBA player, decided that he would not stand during the singing of the National Anthem.  He was suspended, then later black-balled from the NBA for his views.  I find it quite shocking and frustrating that we are still fighting for equality in 2016.  This is a fight that has seen great strides, but also painstaking losses.  Although Colin has not likely made any financial gains, he has reclaimed control of his destiny.  I hope his actions have sparked other people—of all races—to find ways to combat injustice. 

Peace    

Cleveland v. Golden State: Examining the NBA Finals and Lebron's Legacy

Thanks to everyone who has supported the GentReport during the past five years.  I sincerely appreciate your time and interest.

I have once again teamed up with my good fried, Chim, to discuss this year's NBA Finals and the impact the outcome will have on Lebron's legacy.  Chim has addressed the Warriors performance, while I addressed Lebron's legacy.  

Did the Warriors Collapse or were they Overrated?

I think the answer is more complex than the "Hot Take" world we currently live in. Golden State (GS) lost the NBA Finals for a lot of reasons: poor strategy, turnovers, injuries and great execution by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland won by using "hero ball" to make timely shots.

In December 2015 Sidney and I took turns looking at the historic season Golden State embarked on: at the time GS had broken the NBA record with a 25 game winning streak to start the season. They looked invincible and certainly had me convinced: Golden State was an elite team on a historic pace. I believed GS was beatable, but only by a team that was able to slow the pace of the game and be efficient in limited possessions. Cleveland, was on the radar but based on their faux lineups and injuries, I could not consider their stats because they gave the following people significant minutes to start the season: Matt Dellavedova, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Jared Cunningham and Timothy Mozgov. There was nothing to take from Cleveland there.

And that was the point. Cleveland had their eye on the prize: the NBA title; and never once wavered in the regular season. Cleveland played their best players less than 35 minutes a game to make sure they were fresh for a Finals run. By June, Cleveland was healthy, hungry and rested; and it needed all three factors to beat a GS team that was the better team on paper.

So was Cleveland a team of destiny? No. I still don’t think so. Simply put, Cleveland won with hero ball from superb heroes.

In Carter Rodriguez's article on the resurgence of “Hero Ball,” he discussed the re-emergence of hero ball's importance. To Rodriguez, "Hero Ball" won Cleveland Games 5 & 7; Hero ball (when used within a team concept) won Cleveland the NBA Finals. I do not think playing this style of basketball was the Cavs' goal but it became the end result. GS lost a 3-1 series lead because GS bet that the Cavs could not win a series relying on a 2 man isolation-based offense. GS was wrong.

The Cavs won because they had two players who score efficiently and effectively in the paint: LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The Warriors’ dared the Cavs to win by making inefficient plays that required All-Star level play from both Irving and James to succeed: The Cavs proved they could win more than Golden State proved it was overrated/choked. For all their hard work and good play, the NBA Finals still hung in the balance until the very last possession. That is a testament to the talent of the former champs.

GS collapsed because they were fatigued. GS wore down because they, especially Steph, spent a lot of time defending numerous pick and rolls, which fatigued GS's main shooters. Shooters need their legs to maintain quality percentages from distance. Cavs put a lot of pressure on Curry (and Klay to a lesser extent) which wore out his legs and his shooting suffered. His numbers took a significant dip after playing 90-100 games of running, running off screens to get open on Offense and defending. Curry’s tired legs and injury caught up to GS at the end of games (See Game 6 & 7; Warriors scored 13 pts each in the 4th quarter).

Cavs simply needed this title more. They looked hungrier. Cleveland had not won anything since 1964. 52 years.  Even in December, I noted that the Cavs were not concerned about anything other than "Winning one for the Land." This determination was almost lost but the Cavs began to believe after Draymond was suspended for Game 5. Further, LeBron James is the best player of Post MJ era (1998-present) and the fact that he was not given a single first place MVP vote bothered him and he was out to prove he was the best in this series.

GS collapsed because they were injured. Steph Curry sprained his MCL then returned after three weeks. Bogut also hurt his knee in Game 6, which opened up the paint for LeBron/Kyrie to attack. Iguodala battled a back injury, which is not a good omen for guarding the Best Player in the World. Injuries put enough of a chink in the GS armor, which Cleveland took advantage of.

Stephen Curry is a great player but his unanimous MVP was part of his undoing. He is 28 years old and has plenty of time to cement his career legacy but he should have never become the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Curry will probably end up as the greatest shooter of all time but he won’t be considered a top 15 player of all time when his career is over. For now, his peers have gone out of their way to challenge his status in the league because he was the first person to be bestowed with such an honor reserved for all-time greats. Curry never asked for it but that vote served as extra motivation for all his competitors in the playoffs and made Curry a target; which usually is not synonymous with an MVP caliber player. The Cavs attacked “Mr. Unanimous” and exposed the Warriors weaknesses through Curry’s defense.

Last, the Warriors were overrated because the NBA is diluted: there are few elite teams and a lot of subpar teams. GS should be happy they surpassed the Bulls in wins. However the league has made the schedule easier for teams in season by adding rest, reducing ridiculous travel schedules and reducing the total number of back to back games; the NBA also eliminated the old trifecta of “back-to-back-to-back” games. This meant the best teams usually were physically prepared to play on most nights during the season. Whether or not the team was mentally prepared was on the players themselves. Their Finals loss serves to further validate MJ’s invincibility and it caused the media to rethink its voting process for MVPs. This is a net positive for basketball fans; even if it means GS may go own as the NBA’s version of the 18-1 Patriots.

In the end GS can only attribute this loss to their nonchalant attitude in the playoffs.

Lebron James: Top Five Dead or Alive

Lebron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, then two years later, delivered an NBA championship.  Prior to this year’s championship, the City of Cleveland had not hosted a professional championship team since 1964. This year’s championship is the third of his thirteen-year career.  This year was also the seventh time he played in the NBA Finals (six consecutive trips).  If you do the math, he has played in the NBA Finals more than half of his total seasons in the NBA.  This is no small feat, and only the Bill Russell led Boston Celtics, experienced more consecutive NBA Finals appearances than Lebron with the Heat and Cavaliers.

“Hype-Nitis”

In sports, there is a phenomenon called the Hype Machine.  The machine provides support for an athlete before he has had an opportunity to perform.  It is fueled by the media, fans, coaches, and agents.  The funny thing about the machine is that, in most cases, the “hyped” athlete never lives up to the lofty expectations.  In recent history, a few folks come to mind: Sebastian Telfair, Johnny Manzel, Tim Tebow, Greg Oden and Jemarcus Russell.  However, don’t be fooled into thinking the hype machine is a new phenomenon.  Do you remember Harold Miner, or Sam Bowie?  The aforementioned athletes, at one time or another, were billed as the next big thing, but never panned out.  I make this point to illustrate how rare it is for a truly hyped athlete to meet, let alone, exceed expectations.   However, Lebron James, has managed to do so.

During high school, Lebron was dubbed the “Chosen One,” and “King James.”  Mind you, this was before he had played a single game in the NBA.  When he finally made his debut in the NBA as a teenager, he immediately became one of the best players in the Association.  A few years later, he led his Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals.  Since then, he has played in the NBA Finals six times, he won multiple Olympic gold medals, received multiple MVP Awards (regular season and Finals), has achieved multiple All-NBA campaigns, and the list goes on and on.  The talent forecasters thought Lebron would be a lock to become an NBA All Star.  To their credit, they were right, but Lebron has exceeded those expectations by becoming a sure fire first ballot hall-of-famer.

Unreasonable Standards

“He is going to be the next Michael Jordan.”  How many times have we heard people utter those words?  And, how many times have we watched a player pale in comparison to the GOAT?  Jordan is the standard bearer for excellence, and everyone comes up on the short end of the stick (even Kobe).  However, what Lebron has done in his career is nothing short of remarkable.  He has managed to be so good for so long that we are actually taking his great talents for granted.  His comments directed at the media when asked about Steph Curry winning the MVP award illustrate the conundrum perfectly.  Yes, Steph Curry had the best regular season, and his numbers support that theory.  However, Lebron James, when healthy (which is almost always), is the most valuable player in the NBA nearly every year.  He is because he can impact the game is so many different ways, including: scoring, or assisting, or defense, or rebounding.  Most players in the history of the NBA do not have the ability to impact the game in so many different ways each night.

Back to my original point: Lebron is held to an unfair and unreasonable standard. His talents are taken for granted, so the remarkable feats he accomplishes on the court are expected.  Think about his performance in the 2015 NBA Finals.  In that series, he nearly averaged a triple double, and willed his undermanned team to two victories against a clearly superior team. However, because his team lost, he took all of the blame.  Also, many of his critics talk about his less than perfect record in the NBA finals.  However, if his team fails to reach the NBA finals, can you imagine the outcry that would surely ensue? I can see it now: Lebron James FAILS to reach the NBA Finals, blah, blah, blah.  I only have an issue with this standard because it is not applied to other superstar players.  Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony have received passes their entire careers despite the fact that they have zero combined championships. I can rest assured in my next comment: Lebron’s talents won’t be truly appreciated until he retires. 

TOP 5 DOA

“Lebron James solidified his legacy by capturing his third title.”  This is one of the more idiotic comments I have heard in recent years. How can a man who has been to the NBA Finals more than probably any active player, and won championships, and almost every individual accolade imaginable, have his entire legacy rest on his performance in one series?  This guy is, and was before this year’s championship, a top five all-time player (I understand this is a debatable point). I rank players by position, and, with all due respect to Larry Legend, Bron surpassed him as the best small forward in the history of the game a few years ago.  He has proven his worth on the court, he has won on every NBA team he has been apart of, he consistently makes others better, his teammates actually like playing with him and his career individual statistics are otherworldly.  A huge part of his success has undoubtedly been his durability.  To date, he has not suffered an injury that has kept him out of commission for an extended amount of time.  My top five, in no particular order: Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Lebron James. 

It should be clear that Lebron is an all-time great player.  I am going to appreciate his historic run because Father Time is undefeated, so we know how this story will eventually end. 

Peace