By Vernon C. Mitchell, Jr.
Forgiveness--It is a word that many of us loosely throw around like “love.” We say it, often want and need it at some point in our lives, but do we really mean it or even know what it means? How do we define forgiveness? In the book of Matthew (18:21-22) the disciple Peter asks Christ about forgiveness, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times?” Christ’s reply was that you should forgive your brother seventy times seven.
That’s a lot.
Michael Vick seems to test some our collective ability to forgive and also to judge one’s actions. Vick was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday and it has been the top news story across sports media outlets around the country. Moments ago an official press conference was held to publicly announce him as part of the team. Vick, surrounded by Coach Andy Reid and former NFL coach and now mentor, Tony Dungy, made yet another series of apologies for his actions and it still seems to some that is not enough. Nor was the once famed quarterback’s twenty-three months in prison enough. Earlier this morning on ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike In the Morning”, they took calls from around the nation and asked people about their thoughts on Vick. The response was overwhelmingly negative if not outright hostile.
To say there is a plethora of negativity from fans of the Eagles, of football, pet lovers and people just generally speaking, is an understatement. Michael Vick seems to be just as polarizing as President Obama’s healthcare initiatives. I’m just waiting for some of the so called journalists at FOXNews to call Vick and the Eagles front office “socialist”.
The attempts to make Vick some kind of demagogue are outlandish and petty to say the least. He is ready to move on with his life and get back to work and so should we. It seems like his actions are holding an inordinate amount of weight for his crime. Would folk rather he be stoned or executed? How about let’s lock him into a stockade in some public square, will that feed the lynch mob mentality displayed by some Americans? Unfortunately I doubt it. I’m not suggesting in any way that Vick should not have been punished for what he did. He should have, though I still do not believe he should have done any jail time. Significant fines, suspension from the league for a brief period…all these I can agree with but incarceration was just sending a message to Vick, and other black athletes.
Some will read this post and say I’m playing the race card. Well, I am. If you look at the responses about Vick, the vast majority of the most visceral and damning attacks are by whitefolk. I am not saying that across the board African Americans support Vick. We are not a monolith, but I think that some organization should show him some support. Both he and they could use the good press. I challenge the NAACP, Urban League, our various fraternal and sororal organizations, to help out. But maybe some of our black churches will step up to help this brother, they likely are best suited to do so.
Outside of reading his playbook, Vick needs to read about the trials and tribulations of Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Johnson, even talk to Jim Brown. It would be great if he could have a conversation with Muhammad Ali. Vick deserves a second chance. The road back to the top will be hard but I believe and remain hopeful and prayerful that he can do it.
The reality is that Michael Vick has paid his debt to society. He owes nothing to PETA, the Humane Society or anyone else. He must show that he is capable of being a responsible employee of the National Football League and the court system by staying out of trouble, but he owes us nothing. I hope he remembers that. It is time for him to move on with his life and start a new chapter. Hopefully this new one showcases his talent on the field and not his shortcomings off of it.
For the folk that think Vick is the scum of the earth, (especially the Christian ones) have you ever been in need of forgiveness? Let ye who without sin cast the first stone. I hope the best for Michael Vick and his family. He can exceed expectations and make steps to continue to be self defining, but only time will tell. In the meantime America needs to remember that it has bigger concerns to address.
All-star cast at BIA 2 during the Essence Music Festival--cool & "uplifting," a so friggin' what? Or allegory for something forboding for us as blacks in America? Think for a minute...
By Danielle Belton
From a very young age I was told, not by my family directly, but mostly by my peers, that I must have "good hair." It was long and relatively easy to straighten. People argued with me about my genetic makeup over it so much that during my "militant" years in college I used to angrily tell people I was mixed with "slavemaster" when they would pester me for too long about my hair.
I couldn't be all black, they would say. I had to be mixed with something.
As years waned I dropped my anger and moved on to sadness. Sad that so many people were obsessed with hair. Sad that I, too, was obsessed with my hair. Sad that a majority of men who dated me were even more obsessed with my hair than I was, all indicative of a larger sickness of everyone wanting what they could never have -- naturally straight hair.
That's why I'm both curious and wary over Chris Rock's new mockumentary "Good Hair" which pokes fun as well as shares some revelations over what black women go through with their hair. He said he created the film for his daughter who asked him if she had "good hair." So his intentions appear to be in the right place. But considering how psychologically damaging the whole "good hair/bad hair" has been and still is for black women (and to another extent the black men who are equally obsessed with acquiring a woman with long hair), I hope there is a degree of sensetivity to it.
