Gregg Popovich opens up on Black History Month, white privilege and 'our national sin'

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Well, it’s a remembrance, and a bit of a celebration in some ways. It sounds odd because we’re not there yet, but it’s always important to remember what has passed and what is being experienced now by the black population. It’s a celebration of some of the good things that have happened, and a reminder that there’s a lot more work to do.
But more than anything, I think if people take the time to think about it, I think it is our national sin. It always intrigues me when people come out with, “I’m tired of talking about that,” or, “Do we have to talk about race again?” And the answer is, “You’re damned right we do.” Because it’s always there, and it’s systemic, in the sense that when you talk about opportunity, it’s not about, “Well, if you lace up your shoes and you work hard, then you can have the American dream.” That’s a bunch of hogwash.
If you were born white, you automatically have a monstrous advantage — educationally, economically, culturally, in this society and all the systemic roadblocks that exist, whether it’s in a judicial sense, a neighborhood sense with laws, zoning, education. We have huge problems in that regard that are very complicated, but take leadership, time, and real concern to try to solve. It’s a tough one because people don’t really want to face it.

And it’s in our national discourse. We have a president of the United States [Donald Trump] who spent four or five years disparaging and trying to [de]legitimize our president [Barack Obama]. And we know that was a big fake. But still, [he] felt for some reason it had to be done. I can still remember a paraphrase close to a quote “investigators were sent to Hawaii and you cannot believe what they found.” Well, that was a lie. So if it’s being discussed and perpetrated at that level, you’ve got a national problem.
I think that’s enough.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/gregg-popovich-opens-up-on-black-history-month-white-privilege-and-our-national-sin-052247743.html

[haele]

1. BomaniJones said it was sad that the press only takes it seriously when someone privileged

Tells the truth - and that Pop was speaking for a lot of people who wanted to say the same thing but wouldn't be listened to. As he said "would we be talking about this the same way if Doc Rivers said what Pop said?"
Sadly, Jones is right...
And Popovich knows it. Thats why Pop is going on the attack - to him, it's a moral imperative.

Haele

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. The more money you have the more opportunities you and your children have...

The more money you have the more opportunities you and your children have and since African Americans, on the whole, have less money they and their children have less opportunities.

BTW, there is nothing in the above statement to suggest poor whites don't have it rough too but they don't have to deal with structural racism.

[mazzarro]

3. Amen!