Why I Don’t Like Tiger Woods…
Editor’s Note: The following article about Tiger Woods was written long, long before he ever got into trouble for infidelity and lost some of his endorsements…
The fact that he finds no beauty within OUR race to marry was one kick in the pants. As I have gotten older, I have been more accepting of Black men and Black women who marry outside the race. I have said that who one falls in love with is a very, very personal choice and should be respected. Let’s look at some of what the person has done in life before we start pointing fingers and judging harshly in that regard. However, Tiger Woods has done something that I feel is demeaning to Black people and reprehensible. He has totally divorced himself from OUR, proud and beautiful race. He has said he doesn’t consider himself—brown skin, and big lips and all—to be a Black person. This is shameful for many reasons. The first reason it is shameful is that of course he is at least part Black and should take pride in being such. The second part of the equation is the impact making such a statement has on our Black youth. Black youth are very sensitive to Black sports figures and celebrities and Tiger Woods is both of these. They want someone like themselves to look up to and respect. They emulate celebrities and sports figures just like we did with Doctor J and Jim Brown when we were coming up.
Can you imagine a White sports figure saying he didn’t identify with being White? They would have his head and drum him right out of whatever sport he was in. But Woods is given an air of distinction and fine quality that he doesn’t deserve at all, especially among Black people. That in a nut shell is why I don’t like Tiger Woods and I reject him as a sports hero. The damage that this one statement has done to Black youth is deep & irreversible. I will not forgive him for it (unless he apologizes and turns the comment around) and I don’t support him or his career because of it.
Editor’s Note: The following article about Tiger Woods was written long, long before he ever got into trouble for infidelity and lost some of his endorsements…
The fact that he finds no beauty within OUR race to marry was one kick in the pants. As I have gotten older, I have been more accepting of Black men and Black women who marry outside the race. I have said that who one falls in love with is a very, very personal choice and should be respected. Let’s look at some of what the person has done in life before we start pointing fingers and judging harshly in that regard. However, Tiger Woods has done something that I feel is demeaning to Black people and reprehensible. He has totally divorced himself from OUR, proud and beautiful race. He has said he doesn’t consider himself—brown skin, and big lips and all—to be a Black person. This is shameful for many reasons. The first reason it is shameful is that of course he is at least part Black and should take pride in being such. The second part of the equation is the impact making such a statement has on our Black youth. Black youth are very sensitive to Black sports figures and celebrities and Tiger Woods is both of these. They want someone like themselves to look up to and respect. They emulate celebrities and sports figures just like we did with Doctor J and Jim Brown when we were coming up.
Can you imagine a White sports figure saying he didn’t identify with being White? They would have his head and drum him right out of whatever sport he was in. But Woods is given an air of distinction and fine quality that he doesn’t deserve at all, especially among Black people. That in a nut shell is why I don’t like Tiger Woods and I reject him as a sports hero. The damage that this one statement has done to Black youth is deep & irreversible. I will not forgive him for it (unless he apologizes and turns the comment around) and I don’t support him or his career because of it.
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