Filed under: Around the Web
From The Huffington Post: In the spirit of the NCAA college basketball tournament, ESPN aired a documentary on the bittersweet careers of University of Michigan's "Fab Five." During the documentary, former Michigan star, and current Huffington Post contributor, Jalen Rose expressed his feelings about his team's rivalry with Duke when he said, "For me Duke was personal. I hated Duke and I hated everything I felt Duke stood for. Schools like Duke didn't recruit players like me. I felt like they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms." Rose's comments became fodder for those looking to emphasize the growing income and education gap amongst African-Americans. But what many have seen as a time to highlight interracial divisions may distract from further debate on the impact being called "Uncle Tom" has on over half America's child population. In a country aiming to compete with the world for the future, what impact does being called an "Uncle Tom" or "white boy/girl" has on academic achievement in America?Read More of Curtis Valentine's thoughts on the subject at The Huffington Post