So today I stop in an establishment for my end of the school year faculty party. While we're waiting for everything to be set up for us, I look up at the TV screens and ESPN is on. They're running either some kind of special or having an in-depth segment. It's called something like "Why do sports fans riot after championships". The premise I guess is a discussion of the trend of fans to riot after championship events.
Understand I've walked in in the middle of the program.
However, this is what I see on the TV screen:
I see the hosts discussing Cleveland, with pictures of the Tamir Rice protests. I see pictures of Oakland. I see pictures of Ferguson and the burning CVS Pharmacy. I get why Cleveland and Oakland because the NBA Championships, but do you know what I DON'T see?
Chicago and Tampa.
The Stanley Cup teams.
Why is that, I wonder?
This is how racism works. You take a neutral subject--riots after sporting events. However, instead of showing riots after sporting events such as at Kentucky or at Vancouver a few years ago, we get footage from the Cleveland and Oakland #blacklivesmatter protests which have nothing to do with sports. And the only cities they are showing are cities with teams in the NBA Championships.
More code.
And presto, instant subliminal message and reinforcement.
And this is how racism works.