It was based on stereotypes that have been used to oppress.
Sociologically, discrimination is when a group of people is treated differently than other groups. This often happens in policy making, law enforcement and in classrooms.
Additionally, stereotypes are generalized beliefs about particular groups or communities, where an expected behaviour is applied to every member.
Here’s an example: “Shut up and dribble.”
LeBron James was very outspoken in 2018.
He spoke up about the discrimination he faced when someone spray-painted the N-word on his home, the challenges of being a prominent Black athlete, and he frequently criticized President Donald Trump during his first term.
This led to Fox News host Laura Ingraham telling LeBron to “Shut up and dribble” in one of her segments.
Via NPR:
“It’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball,” she said. “Keep the political comments to yourselves. … Shut up and dribble.”
Ingraham received backlash for her comments, with many saying that they had racist connotations.
She claims she didn’t mean to be racist and to discriminate against the Black athlete.
But here’s why it was discriminatory:
She told a sports league of predominantly Black players (the NBA) that they weren’t intelligent enough to comment on current events or the wrongdoings in their community because all they’re good for is being athletic; all they’re capable of is playing basketball.
The stereotype of the dumb, ignorant Black person has been used to oppress the Black community since the birth of the American nation.
As a result, they don’t have the same resources and opportunities as their White neighbours. Policies are often counterintuitive to their progress and many people treat them differently as well.
So, when Ingraham told LeBron to “Shut up and dribble,” she was just adding to the oppression the Black community had been dealing with.
However, this didn’t deter LeBron from speaking his mind:
“I get to sit up here and talk about social injustice,” he said. “We will definitely not shut up and dribble. … I mean too much to society, too much to the youth, too much to so many kids who feel like they don’t have a way out.”
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