Every current and future black professional athlete and entertainer
should take a few seconds to thank Michael Vick. In the wake of Vick
being indicted by the federal government, the case has reminded black
celebrities who perform under the lights that there is a thin line
between praise and vilification.
For decades, professional sports have generated billions of dollars
from the marketing of black athletes. Athletes who have displayed
superior skills on the playing field have become national heroes and
the faces for many companies who give them millions to endorse their
products. But with the prestige that these athletes are given, it’s
easy for them to gain a sense of invisibility when it comes to life
outside of the lines.
A few days after Vick’s property was investigated by the Surry County
Police Department, Vick told a Fox 5 reporter, “Everywhere I go, all
around the world, people still support Mike Vick, so regardless of what
I go through, people gonna love me man . and it’s all good. My job is
to win football games.”
However, Vick now understands that love is conditional when it comes to
America’s acceptance of the black athlete. Since he was indicted, Nike,
Reebok, Rawlings, the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL have all
disassociated themselves from the troubled star.
His character has been assassinated and his career is in jeopardy. He
should realize that those cheers were a myth, those corporate smiles
and handshakes were lies and every Sunday he was just a highly paid
puppet who made his [team] more money by running on a field. America
doesn’t love the black athlete; they love how the black athlete
performs. And once the black athlete steps an inch outside of what
America deems as acceptable, the public lynching becomes imminent.
So while Vick is becoming this decade’s version of O.J. Simpson and
Mike Tyson, I’m sure that LeBron James has taken heed and is somewhere
shining his own tap shoes. – amir shaw
