Veteran sports journalist Jason Whitlock is a bottom-line guy who says what he means and doesn’t give a damn who likes it and who doesn’t. Dude makes Charles Barkley look meek and mild, sports fans. And Whitlock is no fan of the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.
Our story begins with the unveiling of two statues honoring Floyd, last week: one in Newark, NJ, the other in Brooklyn, NY. In an op-ed published by The Blaze on Tuesday, Whitlock made a strong case that the statues, as part of what he sees as the deification of Floyd, only serve to further “denigrate and diminish the reputation of black men.”
On Friday, a bronze statue of Floyd commissioned by the City of Newark was unveiled outside City Hall, a day before Saturday’s celebration of Juneteenth, the new federal holiday honoring the emancipation of slaves in the United States.
“Salty Cracker” hit the nail on the head in reference to the statue in Newark. The only thing I’d add is “and across the rest of the country, as well.”
A community that rips down statues of Jefferson and erects ones of George Floyd will be a Murderapolis within a year. pic.twitter.com/hGwwpwYB1q
— Salty Cracker (@SaltyCracker9) June 17, 2021
Whitlock, a conservative Christian, weighed in on both the statue and the holiday.
“Juneteenth national holiday and George Floyd statue in Newark. What a day to be alive. These 2 symbols of hope are just what we need. Who needs kids raised in nuclear families when we have holidays and statues? Holidays and statues are what create nuclear families!”
Nicely — and correctly — played.
Juneteenth national holiday and George Floyd statue in Newark. What a day to be alive. These 2 symbols of hope are just what we need. Who needs kids raised in nuclear families when we have holidays and statues? Holidays and statues are what create nuclear families!
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) June 17, 2021
And in Brooklyn on Saturday, a 500-pound statue of Floyd’s head made out of plywood, mounted on a five-foot base was unveiled at Brooklyn Junction, as reported by BK Reader.
In New York City, Terrence Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, unveiled a six-foot statue in Brooklyn as part of Saturday’s Juneteenth celebrations. On Wednesday, a statue of Floyd was unveiled in front of city hall in Newark, New Jersey.https://t.co/b7rGxVVGbY
— CNN (@CNN) June 19, 2021
Whitlock was crystal-clear in his op-ed about what George Floyd was — and what he was not — in the eyes of the black journalist, beginning with the latter.
Floyd is not Jesus. He’s not Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, or Medgar Evers, black men who died tragically in service of promoting racial fairness. Floyd isn’t Crispus Attucks, the first man killed in America’s Revolutionary War. Floyd isn’t Emmett Till, an innocent victim of anti-black bigotry.
Floyd isn’t any of the black men I know who are terrific fathers, husbands, providers, and protectors. Floyd isn’t “Uncle Jimmy,” my media sidekick, whose primary job is father to his young sons, James and and Jamill.
And what Floyd was — and has become, in death.
George Floyd was a victim — of his drug addiction, self-destructive behavior, and Derek Chauvin’s misconduct.
George Floyd is a prop corporate media uses for attention, a pawn liberal politicians use to push policy, and a punching bag social activists use as a symbol to explain black people and promote themselves.
“A prop, a pawn, a punching bag,” Whitlock wrote.
That is not the recipe for deification and statues. It’s a recipe for the impugnment of the character, integrity, and reputation of black people.
It’s offensive to build a statue celebrating a man whose most memorable accomplishment is having a policeman kneel on his neck and back for nine minutes. It’s insane.
“The statues of Floyd need to be torn down immediately,” Whitlock said. “They’re racist.” He used the Newark statue as an example.
How does the George Floyd statue paint black men? The statue in Newark has Floyd seated on a park bench wearing a “wifebeater” shirt.
I’m shocked the sculptor didn’t put a crack pipe in one hand and a 40-ounce of beer in the other.
“The politicians, activists, celebrity influencers, and media personalities — the exploiters of George Floyd — are determined to transform an amateur porn star, violent criminal, and drug abuser into a national hero,” Whitlock reasoned, “because they have no respect for black men or black people.”
And Whitlock being Whitlock, he named names.
Yes, I’m talking about Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Shaun King, LeBron James, Don Lemon, Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, Jemele Hill, Michael Eric Dyson, Al Sharpton, Joy Reid, Joe Scarborough, Chris Cuomo, Jack Dorsey, Colin Kaepernick, and the editors and writers at the New York Times, the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, and the Daily Beast.
“As black men, we must put a stop to politicians, activists, and corporate media using us for an agenda that doesn’t serve us,” he explained.
“The deification of George Floyd harms black people and America.”@WhitlockJason says his statues should be removed: He’s “not Jesus, Martin Luther King.”https://t.co/CdCehsZmbs
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 23, 2021
Every word Jason Whitlock wrote was true. And every one of his words will be completely ignored by his targets and the rest of the left. Unless, of course, we include the disgusting names he’ll be called for writing them — the vilest of which he’s called by other black Americans.
Check out some of our past Jason Whitlock articles:
Jason Whitlock and Michael Tracey Call Out AOC’s Manipulation of Capitol Events
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