Adam Jones incident becomes a teaching moment for Boston
I have never faced the kind of overt racist slur that Baltimore Orioles star Adam Jones experienced from an unruly blowhard at Fenway Park. Frankly this guy does not deserve the kind of attention he got for spewing forth words of hate. The upshot was that Boston ended up being indicted in the wake.
For the record, I love Boston, warts and all. There is not a city in the U.S. with the history of activism that Boston boasts. Or the kind of black leadership, from Malcolm X to Louis Farrakhan to W.E.B. Dubois to William Monroe Trotter.
That said, I take issue with some of the comments and actions undertaken in the aftermath of what has become a national debacle.
First of all, for the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone feels Jones should have to prove the slur was actually hurled at him. What reason could he possibly have to make this up?
The unfortunate truth is there has been a long history of blacks who have attended baseball games — and black and Hispanics who have played at Fenway — being racially demeaned. That is why you don’t see many of us going to the ballpark.
I can appreciate the gesture of a standing ovation for Jones, even as I scratch my head and try to figure out why the fans did it. Was it because he called out an atrocious act, or was it done to signify that they were taking a stand?
Isn’t it better to show definitive action? That’s something Boston’s black community has done well in eradicating discrimination.
Here’s a definitive action for the Red Sox to consider: designing and posting signs that say foul racist language will not be tolerated. I’ll volunteer to write up those signs for free.
Still, I find it interesting that blacks who have relocated here from other cities pontificate about the outrageous racism here. You have to be kidding me. Compared to what? Ferguson, Mo.? Or New York City with it’s discriminatory stop-and-frisk policy?
Yes, Boston still faces challenges in combating overt and covert racism. And it is unfortunate that the city cannot shed a painful racial past.
But how about we use this unfortunate incident as an opportunity to double down on fighting issues like the income inequality that is affecting residents of cities and towns nationwide. Let’s work on ways to change conditions brought about by racial disparities rather than focusing on which city is the worst offender.
They all need work.