While watching the NFL combine on television today, an uneasy feeling came over me. The combine bares a strong resemblance to a slave auction. Watching (mostly) Black men in various stages of undress, run, jump and get measured by (mostly) White men, conjures up images of African slaves on the auction block.
I understand that these young men stand to become multimillionaires depending on their draft positions, but swapping the cotton field for the football field does not change the relationship that these Black men will have with their wealthy White owners.
The NFL combine is quite dehumanizing and more befitting a race horse or show dog rather than a Black man.
(image on bottom: slave at auction)
(image on top: Maurice Stovall at NFL combine)
2 comments:
The images are really compelling. Note that in the modern picture, the Brotha' is shirtless, but in the slave picture, the Brotha' has on clothes. I know the slave pic is someone's perspective. But the two pics presented side by side here is interesting.
Unfortunately this is considered by some a "real" black man. As if those of us that do not pursue proffessional sports are not.
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