“We never discuss race in the USA until something bad happens”: When Charles Barkley scoffed at the idea of white police men racially profiling black men and women

Charles Barkley was adamant in his words when saying that the USA only discusses race when something terrible happens. 

Charles Barkley is one to never shy away from saying what’s on his mind at any given moment. His presence on NBAonTNT proves just this as he’s said quite a lot of wild things in the past about NBA players and people around the league. He’s also one to give his thoughts on current events that delve into the political side of things. 

Last year saw him call out politicians for trying to ‘divide and conquer’ the United States by pitting people of different races against one another. 2014 however, saw him take a peculiar stance on a subject that most black people wouldn’t agree with.

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August 9th, 2015 saw a Ferguson police officer named Darren Wilson fatally shoot an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown, causing riots, especially after Wilson was not indicted of the murder. 

Charles Barkley condemned these riots and called out people for trying to push the narrative that white police men are actively looking to racially profile people of color. 

Charles Barkley on the Ferguson shooting and race in the USA. 

“We never discuss race in this country until something bad happens,” said Charles Barkley. “We as black people; we have a lot of crooks. We can’t just wait until something like this happens. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror. There is a reason that they racially profile us in the way that they do. Sometimes it’s right and sometimes it’s wrong.” 

That last bit is the one that sticks with you for a while. To say that racially profiling someone is right in some cases is not correct in the slightest. Without conclusive evidence about a certain subject, no one deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt or have that benefit taken from them due to the color of their skin.

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Charles Barkley has been very outspoken about the perception of black people in the United States. He hints towards believing that African-Americans consider someone to be a ‘good black person’ if they turn out to be a thug or an idiot. 

“For some reason, we are brainwashed to think that if you’re not a thug or an idiot, you’re not black enough. If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don’t break the law, you’re not a good black person. It’s a dirty, dark secret in the black community.”