by: Blackstonian Editor, Jamarhl Crawford
To The Grand Shaqti, Shaqadamus Shaquintius, His Shaqadociousness, Shaqavelli ok you get the point.
Now that you have made your arrival in Boston I thought it would be good for a brother to put you on to game. As far as Basketball you have that on lock and I know nothing, I am far from an avid fan but I have witnessed the Boston sports scene from my youth in the 70’s and remember a time when the Celtics represented something very different for Black people in the city. This was a time when the only ones little Black Boys had to look up to were “Satch” Saunders, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, M.L. Carr, Robert Parrish, Dennis “D.J.” Jones, Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell and of course before that the legend of the immortal Bill Russell. At that time in Boston, the Boston Garden and surrounding areas were not such friendly places for Black people to travel.
The Celtics as the only team in the league which has a logo that represents a culture, brought out the most fervent support of Boston’s Irish community who were embattled with the Black community at that time over the issue of bussing. Boston Sports have always been a little tenuous for Black People, from the treatment of the Black Athletes that may come here, to the overall unwelcome feeling at Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics games. Notice I didn’t even bother mentioning the Bruins. You should give Bill Russell a call and take him to dinner, he can tell you a thing or two about the racially volatile and toxic atmosphere of the time. Sadly, to date this city has never recognized him for his championship contributions.
Nowadays in “Post Racial” America much has changed. Hasn’t it? Here in Boston, Massachusetts, we have a Black President, a Black Governor, a Black Superintendent of Public Schools, a Black Commissioner of the Department of Corrections (just resigned 10/8/10) and about a dozen Black Elected State & Local Officials. Apparently and unfortunately this is not enough.
Your career has led you through cities from Orlando, Los Angeles and Miami. Spoiler alert: Boston is not like any of those cities and I don’t just mean the weather. In Los Angeles and Miami I am sure you became aware of the violence and crime that plague those cities and the lives it leaves devastated. Here in Boston, a city a small fraction of the size of either of those, the violence is concentrated and potent. Unfortunately, even your new team mate Paul Pierce was affected by violence in Boston, despite his celebrity status. As a Global personality and a man about town, you will also notice blaring differences in Boston’s nightlife. You will see little to no Black or Latino ownership and an overall absence of our culture from the city landscape.
So why write an open letter to Shaq? Because you can use your celebrity to call attention to local issues and do some good in the hood. What can Shaquille O’Neal do? Visit schools, visit juvenile detention, come to the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan and encourage your teammates to do the same. There are also many Historical sites in this city that could use your help; The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and The Malcolm X House.
Shaquille O’Neal has always been a gentle giant and a man of the people. Whether rocking rhymes as Shaq-Fu and subsequent platinum album Shaq Diesel or starring in riveting roles like Kazaam, there has always been an overwhelming sense of goodness and fun. We have also witnessed Shaq publicly with his own family and friends (Kobe not included) and you can clearly see a man who has achieved a dream but is caring and about giving back.
So while you are here in Boston, much like the title of your TV show, I would love to see Shaq versus all the issues our children face. Many kids in this city are not experiencing the family and the fun due to extreme circumstances. We could sure use you down here in the paint, boxing out the other team and making sure our kids rebound and score. I know you are a big enough man to do it. Making a difference may prove easier and more rewarding than making freethrows.
One Love,
The Hood
I appreciate this article because its important to understand that each of us have a responsibility one another. Especially in American urban communities were Black and Brown people are the primary residents. People of color who have accomplished and attained, who are respected and celebrated would like to feel the comfort of being an island without obligation or debt to anyone for thier wealth and celebrity. You may have your own struggle stories, the pulled up boot straps, the sleepless nights, the hard work and pain. However, it is said that "nothing worth having is without struggle". But what is also true is that "you will never be able to keep what you have unless you give it away" By that I don't mean money. I mean happiness, self esteem, education, love, opportunity, role model, hope. These things are priceless and, unfortunately, they are in short supply in most inner city communities such as Boston. I grew up in Boston, got locked up, came home and help to pick up Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan (Boston) so I know first hand about the attitudes of youth and adults in these communities. This letter to Shaq is very important because it reminds him and us all that no matter how far you've come or how tall you stand you are never too far away to come back or too high up to come down.