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This incident is a Rorschach test for racism. A white referee who once called a colleague “nigger” told a black wrestler to cut his dreadlocks off or be forced to forfeit. A white journalist called the young man a “team player.” I saw a kid being violated. deadsp.in/J2Nok8Z
I’m not suggesting that there are two legitimate ways to view what happened to this young wrestler. He was subjected to a racist standard, and he clearly realized it (even as he went on to win). You shouldn’t see that as him being a “team player” while ignoring his victimization.
It is clear that @MikeFrankelSNJ saw Andrew Johnson choosing to have his dreadlocks cut off as a selfless, All-American sacrifice. But to ignore how wrong it was for that choice to be forced—upon a child, no less—isn’t merely white blindness. It is journalistic malpractice.
