Controversial MVP deserves to be heard
Iam proud to say Angel Reese, the fully deserving Most Valuable Player in the NCAA’s championship series for women’s basketball earlier this year, is from near my hometown, Baltimore. She is a magnificent athlete.
Having watched, and briefly coached girls’ and women’s basketball for many years, I’ve seen very few female athletes with her array of skills and energy. If you love sports, and believe in women’s equality, she is wonderful to watch.
Along with athletic dominance, she is prone to make gestures and remarks that have earned her some disfavor. However, despite her toughness, Reese needs to be understood and her actions given their just due.
First, she is young, full of fire, and, as yet, her world view is probably entirely based on her experience. I’m pretty sure she’s had rough times in her life, and has likely survived them largely with her ferociousness and determination.
As she ages, she hopefully will begin to see that while there is no downgrading the importance of the racial and other blows she’s experienced and certainly seen around her, a broader context will show how her to deal with them more effectively than simply brandishing the torch. At the same time, I hope she never gives up that intensity and readiness to call it as it should be called, because her status and reputation will serve those great purposes well.
Firing back at Reese for her comments adds fuel to a deservedly furious attitude about racial discrimination. It essentially works to maintain the air of hostility that is pervading our society now. And the most damaging result is that it also is an unfortunately effective way of denying any semblance of responsibility for that rage.
So let’s understand what this young, extraordinarily gifted and unapologetically vociferous young woman is telling us. Let’s not just fire back at her. Let’s try to move forward by listening to a very difficult message, show grace, take our responsibility, and do whatever we can to make things better — for all of us.
Louis Levin is a past president of the Santa Fe branch of the NAACP, musician and psychotherapist.