FOUL PLAY
By Tamara Weston
On April 4, 2007, Rutgers University's female basketball
team, The Scarlet Knights, suffered a devastating loss to their NCAA opponents, the Tennessee Lady Vols. The final score was 59-46. It was Rutgers first appearance in the championship games and by Head Coach Vivian Stringer's own admission it was a challenge for the team. However, the enormity of turning their season around and making it to the NCAA games with no seniors on the team was a major accomplishment. They had every reason to walk away from their loss with dignity and pride. Little did they know that as they fought toward victory, they were being ridiculed on the sidelines.
In what appeared to be an attempt at humor, radio host Don Imus led a four-man attack on the players of the Scarlet Knights. The following is a transcript of what was said during his nationally syndicated radio show:
Don Imus: "That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man they got tattoos."
Bernard McGuirk (his producer): "Some hardcore hos."
Imus: "That's some nappy-headed hos there. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some - woo.
And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know so... like...kinda like
I don't know."
McGuirk: "A Spike Lee thing."
Imus: "Yeah."
McGuirk: "The Jigaboos vs. the wannabees - that movie that he had."
Imus: "Yeah, it was a tough."
Charles McCord, (a co-host): "Do the right thing."
McGuirk: "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah."
Imus: "I don't know if I'd have wanted to beat Rutgers or not, but they did right?"
Rosenberg, (a guest commentator): "It was a tough watch. The more I look at Rutgers,
they
look exactly like the Toronto Raptors."
Imus: "Well, I guess. Yeah."
Don Imus' statement drew criticism from political and organizational leaders from across the nation. Three days later, Don Imus issued an apology admitting that the statements were insensitive and ill conceived. Many people felt the apology was without sincerity and a feeble attempt to pacify the growing anti-Imus crowd. To further show his regret, Don Imus agreed to appear on Reverend Al Sharpton's radio show. During the broadcast, Mr. Imus became very agitated and defensive after being grilled by Reverend Sharpton. At one point Mr. Imus asked Reverend Sharpton "Why isn't there that kind of outrage in the black community when rappers demean black women?" Reverend Sharpton did not directly answer his question. Instead, he continued to challenge Mr. Imus about his actions.
Over the course of the next few days the pressure mounted and countless organizations called for the termination of Don Imus. The National Association of Black Journalist led the protest and spearheaded the efforts to get Mr. Imus off the air permanently. The NAACP and the Rainbow Coalition joined them in their protest. Numerous Women's Organizations voiced their opinions. Since 7 of the 10 players on the Rutgers team are from New York or New Jersey, the local newspapers weighed in on the ongoing debate. Even Oprah Winfrey dedicated two episodes of her show to focus on the controversy surrounding Imus' comments and the image that society has towards young African-American women. Her Town Hall meetings also expanded the conversation to explore the role that hip hop music plays in promoting a less than positive image of African American females.
 On April 12th, CBS fired Don Imus. Some people would like to believe that he was fired because of what he said. In actuality, Mr. Imus was fired because major advertisers began to pull their ads from his show. Don Imus' show was broadcasted over 70 stations around the country. The loss of these advertisers means the loss of millions of dollars in advertising revenue. In firing Mr. Imus CBS was not motivated by the desire to take a stand against his irresponsible and offensive behavior. CBS fired him because they were losing money fast.
Don Imus' attack on the Scarlet Knights only proves that we still have a long way to go to change the perception that society has about African-American females of all ages. More than anything it is a call to African-American females to create a positive image of themselves from inside themselves. This way the ignorance and arrogance of others does nothing to distract us from living our dreams. The Scarlet Knight members did not deserve to be insulted and humiliated. Mr. Imus' statements overshadowed their many accomplishments. They were thrown into the spotlight not because of their skills or talents, but because of his opinion about their appearance. His comments remind us that African-American females are often reduced in the eyes of those who insist on keeping negative stereotypes alive. He ignored the fact that these young women are not only athletically gifted, but they are academically gifted as well. In a few years, they will be college graduates with the confidence to become anything they choose.
When others see us in a limited way we always have an important choice. We can let what they see distract and deter us or we can move on. We should turn their actions into something we can use to remind ourselves that our self-esteem is our job. The young women of the Scarlet Knights basketball team made the wise choice to move on with their heads held high. They know more than Mr. Imus knows about how hard they worked to get to where they are in their lives right now. When they chose to accept Mr. Imus' apology, they showed class and sophistication. They showed who they really are. These young women handled the situation with a maturity that demonstrates the real beauty of African-American females. Let this image of African-American females be the one that reminds society of the respect that these true champions deserve. They have earned society's respect and that includes Don Imus and his "four-man wrecking crew".
If you want to share your thoughts on this controversy, email me at tamara@esteemthemag.com. |
