I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It by Charles Barkley Page A

reason to lash out. But I look at my mother and grandmother, women who saw some really tough times and ugly bigotry, and still managed to treat people based on the way they wanted to be treated.
    Not only that, but we as black folks have to do better among ourselves. We treat each other like shit. People hear me sometimes criticizing what we as black folks tend to call “the system” and say, “Man, Charles blames everything that happens to black people on ‘the system.’ “ And “the system” is screwed up, don’t get me wrong. But we still have to treat each other better. Black-on-black crime, teenage pregnancy at the rate it is, single-parent homes increasing at the rate they are . . . we ourselves have to address and solve those problems. Making your situation in society better can’t happen until you start with those problems.
    We live in a culture where there’s so much prejudice and bias that people just start directing it anywhere, not just at people who are different but sometimes at their own people. And it’s all sad and ugly. Too damn often, black people aren’t even happy for accomplished black people. Guys talk about it privately among ourselves, and a lot of black people are scared to say anything publicly. But there’s too much envy, which is crazy. There’s enough out there for everybody to grab. Why is there envy?
    When I see somebody black on television who is successful, or when I read about somebody or meet somebody who has accomplished something, I’m giddy. I see somebody black achieving something, I’ve got my chest all poked out.
    A whole lot of times you feel that way because you know somebody and what they must have gone through to achieve something, regardless of race. But all over the world people feel good for their own people when they accomplish something. But this jealousy you see in black America sometimes, man, it’s ugly and I don’t understand it. I’m just trying to get to the top and send the elevator back down. Ramsey Lewis said that to me a few years ago and I thought it was profound. Getting to the top isn’t the end of the process, it’s the beginning. Make sure the elevator brings up somebody else.
    So for some successful black people, you’re caught in between two worlds you don’t seem to fit in. It’s a weird place for most black athletes. Even now, black people are struggling to be successful in America, to get over the hurdles or the misperceptions. A disproportionate number of the highly successful people produced by black communities probably are athletes. So when you get that type of power you have to use it. I don’t think you want to hit people over the head with it, though.
    The thing I want to do is pick the battles I want to fight. I don’t want to start World War III every time I’m angry about something. I was willing to fight the role model battle. I’m willing to be in there fighting the battle against racism because it’s so important. But I have to pick the battles that are important to me. We as black people waste time fighting some battles that aren’t worthy, or not as important as some others.
    I get asked all the time about the different state flags, like the state flag of South Carolina. I think it should be taken down or changed, so as not to offend anybody. But I’m not going to waste my weekends picketing. The best thing we can do isn’t picketing and it isn’t spending so much time confronting the people who want to keep the flag. The best thing would be to piss them off by being successful and doing well in education and business. That’s something we have a better chance of controlling. I’m more concerned with there still being only a handful of people of color who serve as the head of public relations for professional sports teams, or at the league level. There’s only a sprinkling of black and Hispanic people involved in the industry of sports other than playing. And obviously, there are only a few people of color