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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDear White Clemson Fan
Link to tweet
Dear White Clemson Fan.
As a former Clemson student athlete, the comments I see made on something as simple as a Black Lives Matter sticker on the helmets are atrocious, and not to mention, incredibly racist. It's so interesting that so many of you want Black bodies to perform well for youas one white Clemson fan recently put it, Saturday is my timebut when it comes to those Black bodies standing in solidarity with other Black bodies, then somehow it's a distraction.
For some reason many of you don't have a problem with young Black athletes using their platforms for Military appreciation game or Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I'm trying to put my finger on what the problem is. Hmmm. It is not the platforms you dont like. I think I can assume many of you praised Tim Tebow who kneeled in prayer or Jonathan Isaac who didn't kneel when others did. But you don't like them using their platforms, that they earned, to fight for Black lives as a way of telling our story, remembering our lynched, and holding both America, its people and our university accountable. Our bodies forcing you to see the ways in which our Black bodies have been forgotten, marginalized, abused, and oppressed, both on and off the field. In the classroom and in the community.
It's one thing to be ignorant, it's another thing to be arrogant, and it's quite another thing to be both at the same time.
We have loved both a country and people who have not loved us back. In case you didn't know, there are many Black alumni, Black taxpayers, and Black donors who too have made both America and Clemson what white people imagined as great. So that means it also belong to us, who are fighting for our lives, our children, and students who look just like us. We Black people have constantly given room to honor your white fallen of America (whom we are apart of), your white dead in 9/11 (whom we are apart of), as well as your white people who are struggling with Breast Cancer (whom we are apart of). We have helped shine light on your struggles, rightfully so, even at the expense of people remembering us. We have stood in solidarity with you publicly to give them room in hopes that room could be given to us as your fellow American and fellow Christian. You know #NeverForget .unless were talking about slavery, Jim Crow, white supremacy, or any other topic about Black lives that don't center white people or make white people comfortable....
Black Lives Matter! Go Tigers!
SEPTEMBER 12, 2020
https://www.dantecstewart.com/blog/dear-white-clemson-fan
LakeVermilion
(1,041 posts)are certainly a selfish bunch.
President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
oswaldactedalone
(3,491 posts)Black Lives Matter
mia
(8,361 posts)https://www.dantecstewart.com/blog/dear-white-clemson-fan
Roc2020
(1,616 posts)is why so many Trump voters are so angry.
Freedomofspeech
(4,225 posts)I am so sick of these racists and now they are loud and proud thanks to the racist in chief.
certainot
(9,090 posts)they turned 100s of radio stations into KKK stations and hundreds of them depend on college and pro athletes and schools like clemson to keep broadcasting sports on them!
(87 unis that broadcast on 260 limbaugh stations)
many or most limbaugh stations would have to dump him and their other racist blowhards - hannity, levin, savage, beck etc - if those schools and pro teams forced management to look for non-racist radio stations. those stations are basically modern KKK.
and it wouldn't take many to start a cascade.
BComplex
(8,053 posts)It's the absolute truth. And it has enabled the nazis.
certainot
(9,090 posts)celebrating it
Duppers
(28,123 posts)K&R.
mia
(8,361 posts)Clemson posted pictures of four helmets. Three of them had individual phrases LOVE, EQUALITY and BLACK LIVES MATTER. The final helmet had several phrases, including BLACK LIVES MATTER and PUT A STOP TO RACISM.
https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/acc/clemson-university/article245710220.html
Ferrets are Cool
(21,106 posts)tblue37
(65,377 posts)Funtatlaguy
(10,877 posts)mia
(8,361 posts)https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/acc/clemson-university/article245710220.html
Funtatlaguy
(10,877 posts)mia
(8,361 posts)I hope you got a chance to read what Dante Stewart wrote. My sister was one of his professors at Clemson. She passed his story to me. Today he's coming back to campus as a guest speaker.
ewagner
(18,964 posts)malaise
(269,010 posts)K & R
certainot
(9,090 posts)the athletes take aa stand the school supports 2 stations that constantly excuse racism and deny systemic racism. all limbaugh stations are pro trump and were used to call mike brown and trayvon martin thugs, excuse their murderers, and taint jury pools.
limbaugh was the one, not trump, who got colin kaepernick blacklisted, making sure team management knew all his dittoheads were going to go after any team that hired him.
a couple of weeks ago limbaugh claimed biden was trying to "foment a race war" and then the next day claimed BLM protestors "executed a trump supporter" and "cheered and danced"
of the 18 NBA teams that started in the bubble 13 support 32 racist trump republican talk radio stations and 16 of those headline limbaugh
all those stations have been attacking immigrants for at least 20 years to help republicans pass voter suppression legislation
clemson is one of 87 major unis that broadcast on 260 limbaugh stations and if one started looking for non racist alternatives many others would follow. advertisers would head for the hills on all republican talk radio stations and the biggest propaganda operation in US history would fall apart
mountain grammy
(26,622 posts)spike jones
(1,679 posts)At Clemson University in South Carolina, a main administration building is named after Ben Pitchfork Tillman who said this: We have done our level best [to prevent blacks from voting]...we have scratched our heads to find out how we could eliminate the last one of them. We stuffed ballot boxes. We shot them. We are not ashamed of it. A few years ago, a group tried to get the name changed, but failed.
Regarding military appreciation day at the football game. Several years ago, during the ceremony of the people joining the military at the part where they swear to obey the president of the US, the Clemson fans in the stadium booed because the POTUS was Obama.
Also a few years ago the student VP, a black guy, was impeached because he refused to stand for the national anthem.
I am also a former Clemson football player (1963-1965). I got kicked off the team because of my long hair, if you can believe that in light of todays team. When Clemson won a national championship and was fed hamburgers at the Whitehouse by Trump, it was funny because when I was there many of the other students referred to the football players as hamburgers.
dlk
(11,566 posts)Last edited Mon Sep 14, 2020, 10:47 AM - Edit history (1)
The very fact some are responding in this hostile manner demonstrates facing the truth makes them uncomfortable and makes living in their fictional world more difficult. We must continue to challenge them or nothing changes.
mia
(8,361 posts)I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh, and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
'Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
I go to the movie and I go down town
Somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
Then I go to my brother
And I say, "Brother, help me please."
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees
There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will