Greene calls people ‘to press on’ with discussions about race

[aubiefifty 16,807]

Auburn AD Allen Greene calls people ‘to press on’ with uncomfortable discussions about race

By Giana Han

3-4 minutes

Auburn athletic director Allen Greene stands with his family outside the Auburn police station during the Protest for Black Lives in Auburn, Ala. on Sunday, June 7, 2020. (Photo by Giana Han)

Conversations about race in America are uncomfortable, Auburn’s Athletic Director Allen Greene said during a radio interview with Andy Burcham on Friday, and that’s ok. However, becoming defensive because of the discomfort is not.

Five days after the video of officers shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back went viral, Greene spoke about pushing the boundaries of comfort zones. At Auburn, they’re doing that through department-wide Zoom conversations. During those conversations, they’ve acknowledged the filters that they use to see the world — the stations they go to for news, the music they listen to and the social media accounts they follow. The conversations have helped to “broaden” their awareness, Greene said.

So far, Greene has been proud of how the members of his department have “leaned into” the discussion on race. He also started having conversations with student-athletes several months ago when he talked to ones who wanted to get involved with the protests and the movements. Greene said he has an understanding of what the Black student-athletes are going through because he’s been in similar situations.

However, Greene said he is tired of having to lead the conversations.

“Why is it that the Black person has to have the conversation?” Greene asked. “We need everyone to have the conversation. We need you to have the conversation with your colleagues. We need our student-athletes, our white student-athletes, to have conversations with one another.”

Greene has appreciated that Auburn’s white student-athletes have spoken up about the injustices they see. However, in general, the burden of having the conversation seems to have fallen on people of color, Greene said, and it is tiring. Greene is not the only one who is exhausted, and he said he heard Charles Barkley say the same on ESPN.

“We’re tired,” Greene said. “But that fatigue doesn’t — we don’t have the luxury of not having that conversation.”

He and others will press on, Greene said, for his own children but also because of the responsibility to the next generation to leave the world a better place.

“I also try to help share with them that in these moments, no different than COVID is that we have an opportunity, the chance to make a difference,” Greene said.

So far, Auburn’s basketball team sat out of practice. Members of the football team posted a graphic that said “Black Lives Matter” with the names of all the Black members of the team in the background. The athletic department put out a video about the importance of unity.

[aubiefifty 16,807]

i agree. this is not going away anytime soon. i hope we can take the time to look in our players hearts to see the hurt there. we should seek solutions and not blame. our auburn folks have done nothing wrong so lets not confuse the two. as far as i know all of our coaches are class acts and i believe they get it. hate will ruin this country and also ruin the game is we let it. lets let love be the higher. i do not post this to start trouble but as an appeal to pull together and show we truly are family. and please if you want to argue we have a thread in the political board for that.

[JDUBB4AU 5,121]

Love one another . Take care of our brothers and sisters 

[jAUSon 2,836]

I'm not black. I have the privilege of assuming a policeman won't shoot me in the back. They won't blast through my living room windows on ropes throwing flash bangs ,all the while assuming I won't commit the literal suicide of shooting at them (intruders) before  making the seemingly required determination of whether it's a cop or not. I have the privilege. The people wanting/needing this conversation do not have the privilege.

But nobody is kidding nobody. Only half of the "conversation" is allowed. What's getting these kids killed in police interactions, and why are there so many of these interactions? Racism? 

Nope.

[WarTim 3,456]

My thoughts. “Red and yellow, black and white. THEY are precious in HIS sight”.......I have two grandchildren. 8 yr old girl and a 4 yr old boy. They do not know how to hate. My job is to further teach them how to Love. Hate always destroys the hater. MLK was right. Judge a man (or woman) by the content of their character. I love my Country and my fellow Americans. Racism is pure ignorance. Black or White. ( I am now putting away my soapbox) Good night all. God Bless. 

[Zeek 16,657]

Agreed, and the biggest changes come from talking with the next generation to be better. I've known my great grandparents and my grandparents and obviously my own parents.

While I have loved all of them it was unsettling hearing the way my grwat grandparents who, otherwise  were so sweet, but when referring to other groups were awful. My grandparents were better but still prejudice. My parents were good but had moments of generalizing people based off the actions shown in the news.

I'm trying my best to be better than they were. Traveling around the country and particularly going to college in Orlando were amazing things for me. I got to meet so many people from so many different lived experiences and world views. Still have much to learn and ways to be better.

 

[Grumps 3,704]

10 hours ago, jAUSon said:

I'm not black. I have the privilege of assuming a policeman won't shoot me in the back. They won't blast through my living room windows on ropes throwing flash bangs ,all the while assuming I won't commit the literal suicide of shooting at them (intruders) before  making the seemingly required determination of whether it's a cop or not. I have the privilege. The people wanting/needing this conversation do not have the privilege.

But nobody is kidding nobody. Only half of the "conversation" is allowed. What's getting these kids killed in police interactions, and why are there so many of these interactions? Racism? 

Nope.

Great post!

I'm not black either. I, too, am aware that my life in Alabama has been easier and safer simply because I am white. It is absolutely, positively wrong that the parents of a black, male teenager should be more concerned for their son's safety than should the parents of a white, male teenager. Change must come!

I also agree with you that a rational discussion of all of the issues must be on the table. Allen Greene wants white people to lead some of the discussions, but one of the reasons that some white people are hesitant to lead the discussions is because right now, saying the wrong thing, even with a compassionate heart, can get you labelled as a racist. Receiving that label can ruin a person's life.

Racism is still rampant in Alabama. Racism leads to fear. Fear leads to poor decisions. Police officers are also subject to being racist and fearful and thus, to making poor decisions which can result in worse treatment of blacks. (I am not addressing poor decisions based on hatred (like Derek Chauvin) because I think these cases are very rare.) It is ok to talk about racism leading to worse outcomes for blacks, but no one wants to talk about whether some of the worse outcomes for blacks come because blacks commit proportionally more crime. It is ok to talk about blacks being shot by police officers, but no one wants to talk about whether blacks are more likely to resist arrest which can result in an avoidable escalation of force.

I can tell you that if my truck breaks down at night in west Montgomery, I will be more worried about my safety than if my truck breaks down in east Montgomery. Is that because I am racist or because I know that west Montgomery is statistically far less safe. It could be either, or both. The goal should be to eliminate any racism in me and to eliminate the reasons why west Montgomery is less safe.

I hope and pray that blacks and whites continue to have the hard discussions and then have the will to continue to work to change things and create true equality.

[homersapien 11,388]

4 hours ago, Grumps said:

Great post!

I'm not black either. I, too, am aware that my life in Alabama has been easier and safer simply because I am white. It is absolutely, positively wrong that the parents of a black, male teenager should be more concerned for their son's safety than should the parents of a white, male teenager. Change must come!

I also agree with you that a rational discussion of all of the issues must be on the table. Allen Greene wants white people to lead some of the discussions, but one of the reasons that some white people are hesitant to lead the discussions is because right now, saying the wrong thing, even with a compassionate heart, can get you labelled as a racist. Receiving that label can ruin a person's life.

Racism is still rampant in Alabama. Racism leads to fear. Fear leads to poor decisions. Police officers are also subject to being racist and fearful and thus, to making poor decisions which can result in worse treatment of blacks. (I am not addressing poor decisions based on hatred (like Derek Chauvin) because I think these cases are very rare.) It is ok to talk about racism leading to worse outcomes for blacks, but no one wants to talk about whether some of the worse outcomes for blacks come because blacks commit proportionally more crime. Is that simply because they are black or is it because poverty and lack of opportunity is more prevalent in black communities?

It is ok to talk about blacks being shot by police officers, but no one wants to talk about whether blacks are more likely to resist arrest which can result in an avoidable escalation of force.  Well, assuming this is correct in terms of resisting / times stopped or arrested in the first place (compared to whites), why do you suppose that's the case?

I can tell you that if my truck breaks down at night in west Montgomery, I will be more worried about my safety than if my truck breaks down in east Montgomery. Is that because I am racist or because I know that west Montgomery is statistically far less safe. It could be either, or both. The goal should be to eliminate any racism in me and to eliminate the reasons why west Montgomery is less safe.

I hope and pray that blacks and whites continue to have the hard discussions and then have the will to continue to work to change things and create true equality.

I am respectfully asking in the service of promoting subject discussion.  No offense intended.

 

[Grumps 3,704]

2 hours ago, homersapien said:

I am respectfully asking in the service of promoting subject discussion.  No offense intended.

 

Racism is still rampant in Alabama. Racism leads to fear. Fear leads to poor decisions. Police officers are also subject to being racist and fearful and thus, to making poor decisions which can result in worse treatment of blacks. (I am not addressing poor decisions based on hatred (like Derek Chauvin) because I think these cases are very rare.) It is ok to talk about racism leading to worse outcomes for blacks, but no one wants to talk about whether some of the worse outcomes for blacks come because blacks commit proportionally more crime. Is that simply because they are black or is it because poverty and lack of opportunity is more prevalent in black communities?

Skin color has absolutely NOTHING to do with the cause of any of this. There is NO difference in a black person and a white person other than melanin component in their skin. Absolutely poverty and lack of opportunity is the cause of this.

It is ok to talk about blacks being shot by police officers, but no one wants to talk about whether blacks are more likely to resist arrest which can result in an avoidable escalation of force.  Well, assuming this is correct in terms of resisting / times stopped or arrested in the first place (compared to whites), why do you suppose that's the case? My opinion is that blacks are more afraid of police and their actions and that fear makes them more likely to resist authority. Part of the reason for their fear is the knowledge that other blacks have been hurt by the police.

[homersapien 11,388]

20 hours ago, Grumps said:

Racism is still rampant in Alabama. Racism leads to fear. Fear leads to poor decisions. Police officers are also subject to being racist and fearful and thus, to making poor decisions which can result in worse treatment of blacks. (I am not addressing poor decisions based on hatred (like Derek Chauvin) because I think these cases are very rare.) It is ok to talk about racism leading to worse outcomes for blacks, but no one wants to talk about whether some of the worse outcomes for blacks come because blacks commit proportionally more crime. Is that simply because they are black or is it because poverty and lack of opportunity is more prevalent in black communities?

Skin color has absolutely NOTHING to do with the cause of any of this. There is NO difference in a black person and a white person other than melanin component in their skin. Absolutely poverty and lack of opportunity is the cause of this.

If by your first sentence you are making the point that there are no essential biological differences between the races beyond skin color and that therefore, skin color has nothing to do with either race in terms of intellectual/psychological/social capacity, I agree.  Race - which is actually a false distinction biologically - has nothing to do with human potential.

But simply as a practical observation, skin color has everything to do with the way blacks have been treated as a group in this country from the very beginning. It is ultimately, the basis that determines the disparities in regards to housing, jobs, education, opportunity and the justice system. 

Neither of us have touched on the matter of culture, which obviously has the potential to create successful black people.  But - assuming we agree on the lack of a biological difference between the races - I would submit culture is largely influenced or informed by the same socio-economic conditions that are largely informed by racial discrimination. There is a feedback loop there that many blacks have overcome.  But until we eliminate the systemic racism, both overt and covert, the cultural problems will continue to fester.

(For example, our society needs to offer young, unmarried black women a real opportunity for personal and financial growth and fulfillment, and an understanding that having a baby is probably going to be counter-productive to reaching their goals.)

 

 

 

 

[homersapien 11,388]

20 hours ago, Grumps said:

It is ok to talk about blacks being shot by police officers, but no one wants to talk about whether blacks are more likely to resist arrest which can result in an avoidable escalation of force.  Well, assuming this is correct in terms of resisting / times stopped or arrested in the first place (compared to whites), why do you suppose that's the case? My opinion is that blacks are more afraid of police and their actions and that fear makes them more likely to resist authority. Part of the reason for their fear is the knowledge that other blacks have been hurt by the police.

Agree completely. 

Police reform is desperately needed.

[Grumps 3,704]

8 hours ago, homersapien said:

But simply as a practical observation, skin color has everything to do with the way blacks have been treated as a group in this country from the very beginning. It is ultimately, the basis that determines the disparities in regards to housing, jobs, education, opportunity and the justice system. 

Neither of us have touched on the matter of culture, which obviously has the potential to create successful black people.  But - assuming we agree on the lack of a biological difference between the races - I would submit culture is largely influenced or informed by the same socio-economic conditions that are largely informed by racial discrimination. There is a feedback loop there that many blacks have overcome.  But until we eliminate the systemic racism, both overt and covert, the cultural problems will continue to fester.

(For example, our society needs to offer young, unmarried black women a real opportunity for personal and financial growth and fulfillment, and an understanding that having a baby is probably going to be counter-productive to reaching their goals.)

I agree.

I do think the term "systemic racism" needs to be well-defined. Does the term mean that there are actually systems in place to oppress blacks? Do we mean government systems or social systems and economic systems? The more we can quantify the term the easier it will be to correct it. For example, I have no first-hand knowledge of this but believe it to be the case that a black couple with a credit score the same as mine might get quoted a higher interest rate than I would when trying to buy a home. If that is the case then is it the banks policy? Is it in writing? This seems like something that the government should have already fixed. I would love to see specific examples brought to light so that they could be corrected.

Also, I am not sure why there seems to be resistance to encouraging a family structure with a wife/mother and a husband/father and kids. This does not have to mean that other types of families are inferior. I have seen an instance where a Mom lived with her children in government housing and could only have her husband live in the home with the family if a physician said it was best for the family. That makes no sense.

[homersapien 11,388]

13 hours ago, Grumps said:

I agree.

I do think the term "systemic racism" needs to be well-defined. Does the term mean that there are actually systems in place to oppress blacks? Do we mean government systems or social systems and economic systems? The more we can quantify the term the easier it will be to correct it. For example, I have no first-hand knowledge of this but believe it to be the case that a black couple with a credit score the same as mine might get quoted a higher interest rate than I would when trying to buy a home. If that is the case then is it the banks policy? Is it in writing? This seems like something that the government should have already fixed. I would love to see specific examples brought to light so that they could be corrected.

 

I see systemic racism as a combination of "latent" or soft policies that don't actually mention race. (A good example is Trump's message about keeping the suburbs free from low cost housing.) 

Many of these practices are a result of long standing prejudice and biases, not a result of laws.  For example, In late 70's I lived in a sub-division and a realtor showed the house next door to me to an Indian couple.  One of the neighbors came over later to bring up his concerns about "colored" people moving into the neighborhood. I told him I hoped they did, because she was a babe! (Which was true.) 

Regardless, we have obviously made a lot of progress since the Jim Crow era - I can remember the "colored" signs over the (unchilled) water fountains also.  (I once drank from one as a child and I couldn't help but notice my mother got uncomfortable, presumably with the need to explain segregation.)

Bottom line, I see "systemic racism" as all of they myriad ways our society tends to impose often unstated - or even subliminal - racial mores.  The one getting the most attention now is the disparity in how the police treat blacks vs. whites, but it exists in many aspects of our culture, which is reflected in the economic data.

It's obvious that significant changes regarding racism take a long time. 

[homersapien 11,388]

13 hours ago, Grumps said:

Also, I am not sure why there seems to be resistance to encouraging a family structure with a wife/mother and a husband/father and kids. This does not have to mean that other types of families are inferior. I have seen an instance where a Mom lived with her children in government housing and could only have her husband live in the home with the family if a physician said it was best for the family. That makes no sense.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. 

This sort of issue has really surfaced with the prospect of children being raised by homosexual couples.  I think what children need is safety, stability, and nurturing.  How they get it - or who they get it from - is secondary.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

What's with all this agreeing and kumbaya s***?

[wdefromtx 3,159]

10 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

What's with all this agreeing and kumbaya s***?

2020.....I guess anything is possible!! 

[homersapien 11,388]

17 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

What's with all this agreeing and kumbaya s***?

Just a serious discussion about racism, just like AD Greene suggested.

[Grumps 3,704]

59 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

What's with all this agreeing and kumbaya s***?

My apologies! It won't happen again!!

[autigeremt 6,643]

On 8/30/2020 at 12:31 PM, homersapien said:

Agree completely. 

Police reform is desperately needed.

Police reform AND civil reform! Too many people want a civil war of sorts coming from both sides of the spectrum. Too many people don't want to listen or event talk about it.