Charles Barkley Talks Sports, Role Models And Journalism With The Morehouse Community
Ask any black child in the West End, Atlanta who his or her role model is. The most common responses would be LeBron James, Julio Jones or, to a lesser degree, Barack Obama.
Why are black children idolizing professional athletes over the former president of the United States? There is a shortage of non-athlete, non-entertainer role models within the black community and it has been that way for years.
When Charles Barkley boldly claimed “I am not a role model” in his 1993 Nike commercial, the backlash he received was both unwarranted and misplaced — he was trying to shift the admiration from him to something more practical such as a doctor or lawyer. Whether Barkley still feels that way is uncertain, however, his recent actions would prove otherwise.
On Wednesday, Barkley, joined by Turner Sports talent executive Tara August, descended upon Morehouse College to talk sports, broadcast journalism and life. A paradoxical mix of bravado and humility, Barkley exuded passion while discussing his recent criticism of LeBron, why he believes he is Auburn’s best athletic product and everything in between.
The program concluded with lauding the 11-time All-Star for his recent donation of $1 million. This donation not only provided a student the unique opportunity to participate in a study abroad trip to Cuba but will be used to modernize some of Morehouse’s dormitories, the average age of which is over 54 years. Barkley, who has recently given similar donations to Clark Atlanta University and Alabama A&M, believed that it was paramount to begin with Morehouse:
“I wanted to start with Morehouse because I think it’s a really significant place; the heritage is tremendous,” Barkley said. “Like I said, I’m in Atlanta so much that I feel like I’m part of Atlanta.”
The idea to donate to Morehouse originated during Capital One’s commercial shoots with famous alumni Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee. Couple that with the various impressive graduates he met while working in Atlanta, the decision was easy, according to Barkley. Armed with the same mindset he used when creating the aforementioned “role model” commercial, Barkley used his financial prosperity to donate $1 million to the sole institution charged with producing successful black males.
“What I was finding out in my speaking,” Barkley said, “is that black people, my people, were brainwashed to think we can only play sports, be entertainers [and] things like that. When I talk to young black kids, they don’t think about being doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, things like that. It was very frustrating for me.”
While Barkley attracted most of the initial attention, August’s responses to questions concerning the challenges of managing egos and being a black woman in a male-dominant field were the most intriguing. August’s zeal for her job was apparent:
“I really tell women that don’t let anybody tell you that it’s just hard cause it’s also an advantage too sometimes,” August said. “You just have to be mindful and carry yourself professionally; being a woman in sports is part of the reason I got my masters degree because I wanted to prove I was serious about the business and wasn’t just here to hang out and have fun or look cute.”
Barkley’s recent actions are in stark contrast to his assertion that he’s not a role model. Unlike most superstars, Barkley’s amiable personality was evident in his willingness to accommodate almost every audience member with pictures, autographs or even a hug at the program’s conclusion.
Role models come and go. Barkley and Augusts’ contributions to the Morehouse community and beyond go above the status of role model yet aren’t celebrated as such. It’s time for that to happen.
Cover Photo: James W. Jones, 22nd Century Lifestyle
C. Isaiah Smalls, II is a junior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He is majoring in Cinema, Television and Emerging Media Studies and minoring in Journalism and Sports. Born in Lansing, Michigan, Smalls spent the first half of his life in Columbus, Ohio and the latter in Bear, Delaware.
