4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial


Clippers Owner’s Comments Teach that Racism Isn’t Just a Black and White Matter


BY ANGELA JONES When released tape recently recordings were of an alleged


conversation between V. Stiviano and Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling, a media feeding frenzy ensued. Although the true nature of their


relationship was not known


when the tapes first emerged, Stiviano was reported to be everything from his


"girlfriend" to however, I believe, his "archivist;" from listening


to the conversation, Donald Sterling viewed their relationship as more of a student / teacher one. On the tapes, it appeared to me, that Donald Sterling was teaching Stiviano the economics of racism and that choosing to deny one’s true identity can benefit one financially.


Anyone who uses the term “race”


in relation to the color of one’s skin and is upset about the statements made by the voice alleged to be Donald Sterling’s on the tape is a hypocrite. The word “race” is one of the most ambiguous and ridiculous words in the English language. You will not find a definition of it with relation to skin color in the Merriam-Webster dictionary yet Americans continue to use this word to put people in a caste system such as the one used in India. When there is a caste system in place, the people at the top of the caste system always have an economic advantage over the people at the bottom.


When the English settlers first


came to America, the people at the bottom of the caste system were people with very little or no financial resources; therefore, they were relegated to work as indentured servants. At one point,


“masters” could not keep up with their servants because they could not distinguish them from the general population. In order for the “upper class” to keep an economic advantage, there needed to be a constant supply of cheap or free labor. The only way this could be achieved was to make servants out of those who could be visibly distinguished from everyone else. That is how slavery based on the color of one’s skin began and the use of the word “race” to separate those who would be economically advantaged by the color of their skin and those who would be economically disadvantaged by the color of their skin. There is no reason for the word “race” to be used in this context today when most of the population of the United States is “multiracial.”


Not everyone may remember


this country’s obsession with skin color. There were once paper bag tests to allow people to enter social gatherings. If one was darker than the color of a paper bag, they were not allowed to enter. We must realize that “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” Unfortunately, the civil war, sit-ins and the election of President Obama did little to change the hearts and minds of many Americans and cause them to relinquish their economic advantage based on their skin color that is mostly due to the luck of the draw. Many of those benefiting from the unfair advantage are hiding the fact that they have “Black” ancestors; the recently released tapes of the Clippers owner remind us of that.


I recommend that anyone who


has an interest in the conversations that took place on the audio tape disregard what is being said in the media. If one listens to the media in this instance, they will miss Sterling’s point. The point he seems to be so desperately


trying to make while


Stiviano is trying to implicate him as a racist is that society, not him, prefers to bestow favoritism on non “Blacks.” He seems to be frustrated that she would choose not to accept this favoritism and instead “out” herself as being “Black” by being seen with other “Blacks.” He tells her “You look like a nice White or Latino woman.” Implying that she could “pass” for either rather than accepting her place at, what he seems to consider, the bottom of the caste system that the "world" reserves for “Blacks.”


Volume 8 Number 9 By asking Stiviano not to bring


“Blacks” to the Clipper’s games, it appears that Sterling did not want to “out” himself as one who was interested


in upsetting the delicate


caste system that still exists in the United States and throughout much of the world. Perhaps he has “Black” ancestors as well.


also implies


The conversation on the tapes that someone was


reporting to Sterling that Stiviano was fraternizing with “Blacks.” This begs the questions, “Who would do such a thing? And why?”


By simply viewing Sterling’s


alleged comments as a racist rant, we miss the deeper lesson Sterling is trying to bestow on Stiviano; he tells her that “The world will think certain things about you if you are seen with


May 2014


‘Black’ people.” He did not say that he would think those things. Although this is not the first time, Sterling has been accused of being a racist; this time, I believe he is trying to give his longtime friend a basic lesson in capitalism and we should all take notes.


A capitalistic society such as the United States works best when one group of people or “race” of people retains an economic advantage over everyone else. Otherwise, there would be all Chiefs and no Indians, so to speak; no one would be left to do the heavy lifting and the system would fail. I hope we have learned from the Sterling tapes that just because racism is not always overt, does not mean that it does not exist.


FACT SHEET: Climate Action Plan - Strategy to Cut Methane Emissions


With an all-of-the-above approach


to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids’ health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations.


That’s why last June,


President Obama issued a broad-based Climate Action Plan, announcing a series of executive actions to reduce carbon pollution, prepare the U.S. for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to address global climate change. Since June, the Administration has made substantial progress in meeting the ambitious goals laid out in the Climate Action Plan


in a way that advances our


economy, our environment, and public health. In just the last few months:


The Department of the Interior


(DOI) announced permitting the 50th renewables-related project on federal lands during the Administration


-


bringing us closer to meeting the goal of siting enough wind and solar projects on public lands by 2020 to power more than 6 million homes.


President Obama directed the Environmental


Protection


Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation economy


to develop fuel standards for heavy-duty


vehicles to save families money at the pump and further reduce reliance on foreign oil and fuel consumption.


The Department of Energy


(DOE) has issued two proposed energy conservation standards for appliances and equipment and finalized two energy conservation standards. That’s on top of the five proposed and two final energy conservation standards DOE has already


issued since


Established 2006 Angela Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor


Rae Willis, Graphic Designer Ida Davis, Contributing Writer


PO Box 10414 ● Norfolk, VA 23513


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June. These standards will help cut consumers' electricity bills by billions of dollars.


The Department of Agriculture


(USDA) announced seven new “climate hubs” to help farmers and ranchers adapt their operations to a changing climate and the President’s Budget proposed a $1 billion in new funding for new technologies and incentives


to build smarter,


more resilient infrastructure to help communities prepare for a changing climate.


The Administration announced the


Climate Data Initiative, an ambitious new effort bringing together extensive open government data and design competitions with commitments from the private and philanthropic sectors to develop data-driven planning and resilience tools for local communities. This effort will help give communities across America the information and tools they need to plan for current and future climate impacts.


the work of the U.S.-China Climate Change working


The Administration has continued Working


to promote and transportation impacts


Group clean


that’s energy solutions in


both countries. And we’re working closely with India to accelerate its clean energy revolution and address the


of climate


vulnerable communities. Today, the


change Administration in is


releasing another key element called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan – a Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions. The strategy summarizes the sources of methane emissions, commits to new steps to cut emissions of


this outlines


potent greenhouse gas, and the Administration’s efforts


to improve the measurement of these emissions.


The strategy builds on


progress to date and takes steps to further cut methane emissions from landfills, coal mining, and agriculture, and oil and gas systems through cost-effective voluntary actions and common-sense standards. include:


Key steps


2014, the EPA will propose updated standards to reduce methane


Coal Mines:


Landfills: In the summer of from


new landfills and take public comment on whether to update standards for existing landfills.


DOI’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will release Notice


In April 2014, the an


Advanced of Proposed Rulemaking


(ANPRM) to gather public input on the development of a program for the capture and sale, or disposal of waste mine methane on lands leased by the Federal government.


Agriculture: partnership with the


In June, in dairy


industry,


the USDA, EPA and DOE will jointly release a “Biogas Roadmap” outlining voluntary strategies to accelerate adoption of methane digesters and


METHANE EMISSIONS PAGE 6


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