In his letter “Tired of the Color Code” [Jan. 31], Mr. Soesbee made the following statement: “If we truly want equality between races, the color prefix should be eliminated. We are even more amazed when African Americans achieve great accomplishments. That demeans and undermines the hard work and success of that individual.”
I find this statement naive and shortsighted. To say that color should not be a focal point because it takes away from what has been accomplished is, in my opinion, rubbish.
How wonderful and ironic that two African-American coaches led their respective teams to the Super Bowl—and during Black History Month, no less!
How does referring to them as “black” take away what they’ve done? It seems to me that it doesn’t. Would our reactions be different if the coaches were, say, Asian? I say no. Why? This is a rare and unique experience that happened, and it may not happen again.
To say that Jackie Robinson was “just a ballplayer” only undermines and demeans his accomplishments because it ignores the fact that he was the first black man to play in the major leagues. If you recall the term back then was “Negro,” not “black.” Which term seems more racist?
If anything, watching two coaches of color should inspire and empower not only African Americans, but all humans in general.
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