Alabama Senator teaches Charles Barkley how bad slavery was.
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Earlier this month, Charles Barkley referred to Ferguson protesters as “scumbags” who “aren’t real black people.” After being called out for his offensive remarks by TNT colleague Kenny Smith in an open letter, the pair confronted each other during an episode of “NBA on TNT.” That’s when Barkley made an asinine statement about slavery.
“I don’t think anytime anything bad that happens in the black community we have to talk about slavery,” Barkley said. “Listen, slavery is, uh, well, I shouldn’t say one of the worst things ever, because I don’t know anything about it other than what I read or what my grandmother told me.”
According to Barkley, slavery wasn’t so bad. It’s a statement that many white supremacists are probably pinning to bulletin boards in glee. But Alabama Senator Hank Sanders was deeply hurt by what Barkley said, and composed an epic open letter to teach Sir Charles just how bad slavery was and how it still affects us today.
Here’s is the full letter as published by AL.com:
Dear Mr. Barkley:
I write you out of love. I write you out of profound pain. I write you out of deep concern. I hope you accept this letter in the spirit that I write.
Mr. Barkley, I understand that you said, in so many words, that slavery was not so bad and that you were tired of people bringing up slavery. I was shocked by both statements. Then I was mad. Then I was terribly disappointed. Finally, I was just in deep hurt and great pain. Now, I am trying to help you and all those who may think like you.
Mr. Barkley, allow me to tell you why slavery was “not so bad,” but very, very bad. First, African people were snatched from their families, their villages, their communities, their tribes, their continent, their freedom. African people were made to walk hundreds of miles in chains. They were often beaten, poorly fed and abused in many ways. Women and girls were routinely ? . The whole continent was ravaged and still suffers to this day. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Second, African people were placed in “slave dungeons” for weeks and sometimes months until the slave ships came. They were often underfed, terribly beaten, ? and stuffed together so tightly they could hardly move. African people were packed in the holds of ships with little space to even move. They performed ? functions where they lay and then lived in it. They were oftentimes beaten, ? and abused mentally, physically and emotionally. Many died from disease and broken spirits. Some were so terribly impacted that they jumped overboard and drowned when brought to the deck of the ships. Millions died during the Middle Passage from Africa to the Americas. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Third, African people were broken like wild animals. They were stripped of every element of their identity. Their names were taken. Their languages were taken. Their religions were taken. Their histories were taken. They were forbidden to have family. They had no rights to own anything. They were considered property. Their personalities were permanently altered. Their freedom was taken. They became chattel sold from “slave blocks.” This crushing of identity impacts us to this day. I call it the psychology of the oppressed. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Fourth, African Americans were worked from “kin to can’t;” that is from “can see” in the morning to “can’t see” at night. There was no pay for their long, hard labor. Many were poorly fed. Most felt the lash of the whip. All felt the lash of the tongue. Many were repeatedly ? . Their children and other loved ones were sold at will. Some mothers killed their baby girls so they would not have to endure the ravages of slavery. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Fifth, African Americans had no right to defend themselves no matter what was done and how wrong it was. By law, they could not even testify against their abusers. As U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Toney said in the 1857 Dred Scott case, “A Black man has no rights a White man is bound to respect.” This became the law of the land and its legacy bedevils us to this day. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Sixth, African Americans were perceived and treated as sub human. The only way enslavers could square this terrible treatment with their Christian beliefs was see us as less than human. Therefore, they could proudly place such beautiful words in the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution with impunity: i.e. – “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” To them, African Americans were not human so these beautiful words did not apply. Even the U.S. Constitution designated us as 3/5 of a person. That’s why White terrorists, in and out of uniforms, can ? us without punishment. The legacy of being less human lingers with us today. Black lives are worth much less than White lives. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Seventh, it required great violence to implement and maintain the worse form of human slavery known to humankind. It required unbridled violence by enslavers, slave catchers, local, state, federal governments and the entire society. Maintaining the institution of slavery created a very violent society that infests us to this day. That’s why the United States has far more violence than any country in the world. Mr. Barkley, this is very, very bad.
Eighth, even after slavery formerly ended, we still had Jim Crow. These same imbedded attitudes generated state-sanctioned terrorism for nearly another 100 years. The Ku Klux ? and other terrorist groups hanged, mutilated, maimed and murdered without any punishment. It was state sanctioned terrorism because the “state” did not do anything to prevent it. That’s why even during the Civil Rights Movement murders took many years before even a modicum of justice was forged. Just look at the deaths of Medgar Evers, James Chaney, the three little girls murdered by the bombing of a Birmingham Church and so many others. That is why today Trayvon Martin could not walk the streets of his neighborhood and Jordan Davis could not play loud music in his car and Eric Garner was choked to death and Michael Brown was gunned down. Mr. Barkley this is very, very bad.
Mr. Barkley, if you knew your history, you would not say slavery is not so bad and you are tired of people bringing up slavery. The legacy of slavery is everywhere. However, you are not totally to blame because you were deliberately denied the opportunity to learn your history. That is one more legacy of slavery. I hope you will seek the full history for yourself so that you will not ever say such things again.
In deep concern,
Hank Sanders
For some reason, the media gravitates toward Charles Barkley to seek his comments on social and political issues that he clearly knows nothing about. He’s a ? , not a historian. His only expertise is basketball and awkward golf swings. Clearly, if he had pursued academic achievement instead of spending hours putting a ball through a hoop, he would know that slavery is indeed, one of the worst travesties in world history. But like a lot of jocks, Barkley no longer has to study hard to find out how evil slavery was. All he has to do is read the open letter written to him by the smart person in the class.
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If Charles Barkley had said something along the lines "look, I can't say the Holocaust was one of the worse things to ever happen. I only know about it from what I read.." his name would be purged from all media and the very mention of his name would be an automatic career-ender for those in the media/communications field.
In regards to the letter, a very common sense kind of lesson for a guy that commonly displays he has no sense. So salute to that.
I find it funny that one of Barkley's comments were that Black people tear down other Black people for their intelligence...really? How the ? would you know that. When have you ever been a target because of all things your "intelligence" foh ? . -
Barkley is living in a bubble. He is a multi millionaire hanging around rich white people for three decades. He doesn't really know anything about the reality out there.
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If Charles Barkley had said something along the lines "look, I can't say the Holocaust was one of the worse things to ever happen. I only know about it from what I read.." his name would be purged from all media and the very mention of his name would be an automatic career-ender for those in the media/communications field.
In regards to the letter, a very common sense kind of lesson for a guy that commonly displays he has no sense. So salute to that.
I find it funny that one of Barkley's comments were that Black people tear down other Black people for their intelligence...really? How the ? would you know that. When have you ever been a target because of all things your "intelligence" foh ? .
Barkley believes he is intelligent because people listen to him. Sad. -
telling the history of slavery to a black american too ignorant to know that it was "bad" is as useful as teaching a one legged man kickball
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What's up with these strawmen. Barkley should be ? on for what he said, but there is a problem when an educated dude is pulling this kinda ? just so he can write his little piece. There is a difference between saying "I can't say that slavery was the worst thing" and saying "slavery wasn't that bad."
Dude could have made his point without resorting to that. -
Too much.
All he had to do was say that Barkley was an idiot for saying that he doesn't know how bad slavery was. -
Too much.
All he had to do was call Barkley an idiot for saying that he doesn't know how bad slavery was. -
U know Barkley can't read all of that.
He's too intelligent -
CoonKillaThird wrote: »If Charles Barkley had said something along the lines "look, I can't say the Holocaust was one of the worse things to ever happen. I only know about it from what I read.." his name would be purged from all media and the very mention of his name would be an automatic career-ender for those in the media/communications field.
In regards to the letter, a very common sense kind of lesson for a guy that commonly displays he has no sense. So salute to that.
I find it funny that one of Barkley's comments were that Black people tear down other Black people for their intelligence...really? How the ? would you know that. When have you ever been a target because of all things your "intelligence" foh ? .
Barkley believes he is intelligent because people listen to him. Sad.
And ironically enough, the only reason the media gives him a platform for people to hear him and listen to him is because he says dumb ? . They gave no coverage to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's knowledge that he's been dropping.
Anytime a Black person says things like Barkley's been saying, they roll out the red carpet for him. -
Yeah that was alot to read im waitin to hear his response since it was an Alabama guy
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Listen, what Barkley said was stupid, but he did NOT say that "slavery was not so bad." That is clearly not what he meant, and to continue beating him up for that when he actually said ? that he does deserve to be beaten up for is ? up.
If you want to wack or troll this post because you don't like the truth, ? off.
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A Talented One wrote: »Listen, what Barkley said was stupid, but he did NOT say that "slavery was not so bad." That is clearly not what he meant, and to continue beating him up for that when he actually said ? that he does deserve to be beaten up for is ? up.
If you want to wack or troll this post because you don't like the truth, ? off.
It's true that dude who wrote the letter shouldn't have framed what he said as "slavery was not so bad." . But his actual statement was problematic too though.
It would be ridiculous and insensitive for anybody to say "I can't say that the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were that bad because I only know about what I read about it."
I could go on all day with that. Bottom line, charles barkley is ignorant and he's not an intellectual. His views on race relations shouldn't be put on display by the national news media just because he's saying outlandish and uninformed things.
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A Talented One wrote: »Listen, what Barkley said was stupid, but he did NOT say that "slavery was not so bad." That is clearly not what he meant, and to continue beating him up for that when he actually said ? that he does deserve to be beaten up for is ? up.
If you want to wack or troll this post because you don't like the truth, ? off.
It's true that dude who wrote the letter shouldn't have framed what he said as "slavery was not so bad." . But his actual statement was problematic too though.
It would be ridiculous and insensitive for anybody to say "I can't say that the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were that bad because I only know about what I read about it."
I could go on all day with that. Bottom line, charles barkley is ignorant and he's not an intellectual. His views on race relations shouldn't be put on display by the national news media just because he's saying outlandish and uninformed things.
Agreed completely. -
thats just unbelievable that he could not be disillusioned like that. still smash on that chick that everybody thought was his daughter.
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CoonKillaThird wrote: »If Charles Barkley had said something along the lines "look, I can't say the Holocaust was one of the worse things to ever happen. I only know about it from what I read.." his name would be purged from all media and the very mention of his name would be an automatic career-ender for those in the media/communications field.
In regards to the letter, a very common sense kind of lesson for a guy that commonly displays he has no sense. So salute to that.
I find it funny that one of Barkley's comments were that Black people tear down other Black people for their intelligence...really? How the ? would you know that. When have you ever been a target because of all things your "intelligence" foh ? .
Barkley believes he is intelligent because people listen to him. Sad.
And ironically enough, the only reason the media gives him a platform for people to hear him and listen to him is because he says dumb ? . They gave no coverage to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's knowledge that he's been dropping.
Anytime a Black person says things like Barkley's been saying, they roll out the red carpet for him.
We are the only race that whenever there is an issue of injustice they bring two sides to make it look like we are not united. To say these negros havr no idea what they want. But with hispanics,asians,arabs they show . one voice. If I see Barkley being interviewed by CNN one more time i will lose my ? . -
Egg ? zactly!
Great read. -
PapaDoc223 wrote: »CoonKillaThird wrote: »If Charles Barkley had said something along the lines "look, I can't say the Holocaust was one of the worse things to ever happen. I only know about it from what I read.." his name would be purged from all media and the very mention of his name would be an automatic career-ender for those in the media/communications field.
In regards to the letter, a very common sense kind of lesson for a guy that commonly displays he has no sense. So salute to that.
I find it funny that one of Barkley's comments were that Black people tear down other Black people for their intelligence...really? How the ? would you know that. When have you ever been a target because of all things your "intelligence" foh ? .
Barkley believes he is intelligent because people listen to him. Sad.
And ironically enough, the only reason the media gives him a platform for people to hear him and listen to him is because he says dumb ? . They gave no coverage to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's knowledge that he's been dropping.
Anytime a Black person says things like Barkley's been saying, they roll out the red carpet for him.
We are the only race that whenever there is an issue of injustice they bring two sides to make it look like we are not united. To say these negros havr no idea what they want. But with hispanics,asians,arabs they show . one voice. If I see Barkley being interviewed by CNN one more time i will lose my ? .
Right.You would never hear an Asian or Indian say this or downplay something that effected their people.Hell Hiroshima was not half as bad as slavery (they did start it) and the Japanese still honor those that lost their lives despite the new generation not living during the time.as I said before.He had no point other than to please whites like the ? he is. -
A non-Talented ? wrote: »Listen, what Barkley said was stupid, but he did NOT say that "slavery was not so bad." That is clearly not what he meant, and to continue beating him up for that when he actually said ? that he does deserve to be beaten up for is ? up.
If you want to wack or troll this post because you don't like the truth, ? off.
I sho love white ? ? . I iz gonna tell him.
What the ? !! -
How can you not deduce that slavery was bad by reading about it?
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I'm thinking now the thread title isn't fitting. "Teaches" implies that Mr. Barkley has learned something, but given his ignorance and willingness to avoid the subject I'm guessing if he even reads this he still won't change his views.
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charles a shuckin and jivin ass jive turkey
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I think that non talented ? and Charles Coonley are the same person.
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Bartholomew_Jenkins wrote: »I think that non talented ? and Charles Coonley are the same person.
Yeah, that makes sense because I think he's a ? and that what he was stupid (though he didn't say that slavery "wasn't that bad"). -
A non-Talented ? wrote: »Bartholomew_Jenkins wrote: »I think that non talented ? and Charles Coonley are the same person.
Well, you sho iz right, we both suck ? ? .
Smh.
