Opinion

OP-ED: NBA Slut Shaming Tactics, Donald Sterling & Racism Win NBA Finals

Published

11 years ago

June 18, 2014

With the American sports fan demanding swift action, the threat of an NBA player revolt and nervous sponsors quaking, new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver understandably panicked. Pathetic best describes the manner in which the NBA chose to handle former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist rant exposed by TMZ.

Metaphorically, Commissioner Silver grabbed Sterling by the scruff of the neck and kicked him out of the NBA’s exclusive club. However, a careful look at what happened over the last two months has me shaking my head. The NBA, Donald Sterling and racism pulled one over on us all.

Using the tactic of “Slut Shaming” where holier than thou types shame a promiscuous girl, by exposing her promiscuous deeds is no way to fight racism in America. In my opinion, a better way to handle an 80 year old man with a history of racism would be to allow God, to do what He does best. Teach without the need to expose or shame.

I met an 18-year-old panhandler in 1976 San Francisco. This good-looking White boy named Steven, told me that he had hitch-hiked down from Portland Oregon and was sleeping under a bridge. For self-serving reasons, I allowed him to live in my apartment where we became good friends fast. I liked him, but he liked girls.

Occasionally, Steven’s father would call to check on his son and always expressed his appreciation for my hospitality towards his son. He even extended an invitation for me to visit Portland.

Spring 1979 I called Steven but talked with his father instead. He told me Steven was on another hitch-hiking excursion. I told him that I was at the Portland Greyhound Bus station.

Excited to hear I was in town, he said he was coming down to pick me up and that I would be staying at his place. Never thinking to state that I was Black, I described myself as being on crutches and having a San Francisco Giants travel bag.

Hoping I could spot him first, an older White man walk passed me and stared. I, like so many other Blacks would describe that stare as a go back to Africa stare. This same man returned with a big smile. He introduced himself as Steven’s father and of course I was confused. I had seen that look too many times to be wrong though I was only 23-years-old.

The first night in his home he prepared me a drink while he popped a couple of TV dinners in the oven. We finished eating, drinking and after several hours of talking, he insisted I sleep in his bed and that he would sleep on the sofa bed.

Steven arrived a few days later and while the two of us were laughing too loud his father asked if I had a driver’s license. I replied yes and he allowed me to take Steven to a pool hall.

“Allen, my father never lets anyone drive his car”, Steven said.

Despite the fact that I began to add up the many times Steven’s father treated me like royalty, I was clueless to what this man was doing.

A few months later, Steven’s 65-year-old father died from a slip and fall on his property. I accompanied his family back to his home after the funeral and his ex-wife revealed what I had no clue of concerning the history of this man.

“Allen, I don’t know what you did to my ex-husband but he was always very prejudice against blacks”, she whispered.

Shaming Donald Sterling was like giving the medal of holiness to the self-righteous perpetrators of slut shaming. However, while Donald Sterling continues to cry crocodile tears, I do not recommend that the “United Negro College Fund” hold its breath. A large gift from the Donald Sterling Foundation is not in the mail.

The Donald Sterling Trust sold the Los Angeles Clippers worth an estimated $500 million according to Forbes before this matter was revealed, for the sum of $2 billion in less than two months. It appears that Shelly Sterling saw a clear lane to slam-dunk on us all with a Blake Griffin style facial.

Since when does the perpetrator of racist rants get to pocket a billion dollars after taxes in one transaction? Apparently, when the NBA’s overzealous pursuit to punish an 80-year-old rich White man’s racist rants is its answer to racism.

What is really sad is that while racism still rules the hearts of too many, NBA teams doubled in value according to a Forbes recent recalculation of NBA team values in light of the Clippers sale.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Vallejo Admirals Celebrate Filipino Heritage Day June 22

Don't Miss

Commentary: Power of Kevin Weston

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Alameda County

Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development

I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts.

Published

3 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland.

By Janani Ramachandran, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember

On Wednesday, June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund 5 police academies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, re-instate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded.

Our budget comes in response to the widespread and consistent calls from across Oakland’s diverse communities asking us to prioritize funding solutions to the issues that have most directly impacted our residents’ safety and quality of life. Our priorities are also inspired by our belief that Oakland is on the way not only to financial recovery, but also to global recognition. Oakland can attract and preserve businesses of all sizes with safer, cleaner streets. We can and will have more large-scale festivals that celebrate our culture, concerts that uplift our incredible local musicians, conferences that attract patrons from across the world, and award-winning restaurants that top national charts. We are on our way to rebuilding a thriving economy and having a cultural renaissance will create more jobs for Oaklanders while also generating more revenue for the City through sales and business taxes.

I am grateful for the close partnership with our new Mayor Barbara Lee, and know that she shares our values of ensuring we are prioritizing keeping Oakland’s residents safe, our streets clean, and our businesses prosperous in an open and fiscally responsible manner. I am also thankful to our City Administrator, Jestin Johnson, and former Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ efforts to produce the initial proposal that our Council budget team used as a starting point for our amendments, and for their shared commitment to transparency and ethical government. I am especially grateful for every resident that took the time to make their voice heard throughout this rigorous budget process. I have no doubt that we are on the verge of true change, and that together we will bring Oakland back to being the world-class city I know it can be.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Learning Life’s Lessons

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

Published

3 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”

By Richard Johnson

I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery. At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.

About the Author

By Post staff

Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention. His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.

With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.

His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action. He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.

Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.