Is That a Rant I See Before Me?

In this bizarre political climate, in the Democratic Party alone, I take the time to tell a story about the Patronizing Racist White Liberal.

A few years ago, David Stern, the NBA commissioner enacted a dress code for all players. They had to dress as “professionals.” This included dress shirt and tie, or sweater, blazer, slacks, and shoes.
Many in the white liberal community were up in arms, calling Stern a racist. ESPN Radio’s white hosts were merciless. Maybe, these people claimed, baggy pants and chains and cornrows are the black community’s business attire. The Patronizing Racist White Liberal is utterly oblivious to the racism in their statement, as well as where the statement comes from. A belief in the inferiority of the black community. Their statement is equivalent to saying, “well, they don’t know any better. We must set different rules for them.”
That fall I substituted at Compton High School. The new football coach, a young black man, came with lofty goals. To turn Compton's football team from a laughing stock to a powerhouse. He was taking over a team that hadn't had a winning season in over a decade. He would instill his players with pride. One of his very first rules: You act like a professional. You dress like a professional. Every game day: dress shirt and tie. Slacks and shoes. You do this. Or you do not play.