From Rabbis to Rappers, Barkley Probes Racism in America
By Marc J. Spears, AOL BlackVoices
From the NBA to the world today, Charles Barkley has never been afraid to say what’s on his mind. Now in his latest book project, the ex-NBA star is convincing some of America’s most intriguing people to talk openly about one of the most taboo of topics -- racism.
“This is probably the most important thing I’ve done since the ‘(I’m not a) role model’ commercial,” Barkley said.
With the aid of Washington Post sports columnist and ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption star Michael Wilbon, Barkley has been interviewing celebrities and other affluent leaders for a still-to-be-named book on racism to be released in April. When the 11-time NBA all-star is not in Atlanta working as a hoops analyst for Turner Sports or back home in Phoenix, he has been traveling to Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles to do interviews for the book.
“This book is a positive book on racism,” Barkley said. “There is going to be some criticism of blacks in there, too. We got to do better. We can’t blame everything on white people. That’s really unfair. But white America does have to admit that racism does exist.”
The black man from Alabama has interviewed a wide range of celebrity and successful African Americans like the Rev. Jesse Jackson, actor Samuel L. Jackson, rapper-actor Ice Cube, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson, actor Morgan Freeman and the only African American in the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama. Barkley has also spoken to former President Bill Clinton, Hispanic actor/comedian George Lopez and a Jewish rabbi. He still hopes to interview talk-show legend Oprah Winfrey, actress/comedian Whoopi Goldberg, writer Maya Angelou and the rap group The Beastie Boys, too.
“All the conversations have been liberating,” Barkley said. “The one thing you have learned is that everybody knows it exists. How can we make it better? There has not been one person that said, ‘Hey, it’s just black folks overreacting.’ That’s been the thing that’s cool for me.
“They’ve all made me emotional because racism is a very emotional subject. All the interviews have been like, ‘Wow.’ When you talk to Jesse Jackson, it’s unbelievable. When you talk to Barack, it’s unbelievable.”
In what could be his most interesting interview of them all, Barkley also hopes to talk to a Ku Klux Klan member.
“I want to get everybody’s opinion,” he said. “That’s why I went to a Jewish guy. That’s why I went to a Hispanic. I don’t want the book to just be from a black man’s perspective. I want it to be one that is fair.”
No, “Sir Charles” can’t end racism with this book. But considering the A-list celebrities he is talking to, it will find its way into pop culture and hopefully liberate at least one person into a colorblind world.
“Racism does exist, always has existed and always will exist,” Barkley said. “My personal opinion is that there are a lot of people out there that want to be better but just straddle the fence.”
Marc J. Spears is the NBA beat writer for The Denver Post and a regular contributor to AOL BlackVoices.