Filed under: Baseball
Michael's resurgence is no surprise to anyone who's seen any of his performances over the past several years. The man is an amazing athlete and one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The problem is that when he starts to taste sweet success once again, there are some who wonder if Vick will remember the value of making good personal choices. It's really hard to tell.
I've rooted for Michael Vick, as I do for most black athletes who get into trouble. It's not to say that I condone all of the stupidity we see on television, but we must remember that our nation sees black male athletes as the modern day personification of the big, buck field slave. In the mind of his master, this slave deserved neither freedom nor power, for he would never know what to do with either. There is a thin line between the black male athlete and the black male convict, as they both strike fear into the hearts of millions of Americans. There's admiration for the athlete's physical prowess, until the athlete's power takes a turn for the worse. At that point, the objective becomes complete extermination.
Our nation has been trained to see the black male athlete as a being something less than human, and less than civilized. So, when a black athlete gets into trouble, citizens have a very different reaction from the one we see when a white player has a similar issue. The media is quicker to jump on the story, and the response is one of paternalistic condemnation, with a whole bunch of finger wagging and second-guessing by people who are far from perfect themselves.
Michael Vick was caught up in the racism of America during his dog fighting scandal. But he also made things worse for himself by displaying arrogance toward his situation and believing that he was untouchable. After he was "touched" over and over again, I am hopeful that his long days and nights in prison helped Vick to rethink his priorities. I am also hoping that he and other black athletes will embrace the idea of having power with a purpose, with that purpose being deeper than buying yet another gold medallion, fancy car or third baby's mama. Michael Vick is one of the leaders of his generation and perhaps his new place with the Philadelphia Eagles will help him to truly reveal his potential.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.