Dexter's Vantage Point!

I think the Green Bay Packer organization, especially General Manager Ted Thompson, are nuts for treating Brett Favre like he’s a scrub. No, I’m not a big fan of Favre’s but he’s been treated unfairly. Yes, he had an emotional retirement speech on March 3rd where he expressed he was really done this time but now he’s changed his mind and wants to keep playing. This frenzy surrounding Favre isn’t anything new. Each off-season Favre takes time to gauge how much he’ll be missed. This time around apparently the love has waned and the Packers are set to move on without him. This situation takes me back to 1992 when San Francisco 49er quarterback Joe Montana injured his elbow and Steve Young inherited Montana’s job. Young played pretty well in Montana’s absence so the organization stayed with him and sent Montana packing to the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49er’s organization felt Montana could no longer play. He wasn’t even given the opportunity to demonstrate he was healed so he could at least ...

Recently Jesse Jackson made derogatory statements about presidential hopeful Barack Obama on the FOX Network. Now it’s being reported Jackson said more than what was initially reported. Jackson is believed to have called Obama, “A no good, half-breed nigger.” This situation is very unfortunate. First off, Jackson should have reframed from such statements. If that’s something he needed to say he should have taken confronted Obama face to face in private. Jackson clearly has provided fuel for the media pit two African Americans against one another but I urge you to look beyond the obvious. I think this is a good opportunity to engage in dialogue about the word “nigger” and put it in its proper context. To me it’s not about Jackson calling Obama a nigger-it’s about how the word was utilized in Colonial America and beyond. In the early 1600’s in Virginia Anglo-Saxon Europeans began referring to imported Africans as niggers. When they began importing natives for indentured servitude and eve...

It’s never a bad time to extend a special thanks to those who were instrumental in ones development. Today I want to pay homage to my hero who inspires me most. There are a few people whom I truly admire for their accomplishments in society and in the realm of sports. Muhammad Ali is my all time favorite in sports. He said he was the greatest and he proved it. Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Curt Flood, Arthur Ashe, and Jackie Robinson are others who I admire. They stood tall while at the apex of their athletic careers. They sacrificed and battled racism to make things better for us all. In terms of activism the likes of Frederick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, and Martin Luther King were great but Malcolm X was the best. He provided the best blueprint that could liberate the minds and souls of African Americans during the turbulent 1960’s and beyond. I’ve had several teachers and professors whom I respect for their wisdom. Their collective efforts have helped shape my world. While the latter athle...

Venus Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title as she out-dueled her little sister Venus 7-5, 6-4. It marked the first time the Williams’ sisters met in a grand slam final since 2003. Their historic clash was a family affair in more ways than one. Personally, it was great to see order restored at top of women’s tennis. It brought back memories of when the sister act first met in a grand slam final at the 2001 US Open. It was an historic event indeed because two African American stars at the top of their games were vying for the most prized tourney in tennis. I’m thankful enough to have witnessed them make history and then arrive home safely days before the terrorist attacks. In 2003 the Williams’ sisters met in four consecutive grand slam finals. They revolutionized the game and brought color to a sport that’s, despite their dominance, still lily white. The Williams’ sisters brought a level of talent, charisma, power and attitude never witnessed before. The last few years the sis...

I want to wish a Happy Independence Day to all. I’m sure many of you will fire up the grills, down a few beers, and set off some fireworks in celebration. I will fire up my grill as well, but it won’t be in celebration of Independence Day: it will be in recognition of the centuries of lies erected by the Founding Fathers. I consider the Fourth of July celebration as a piece of Eurocentric mythology. It reminds me not of American independence-it reminds me of the hypocrisy we continue to live by because African Americans weren’t included. It represents how we’ve been thoroughly brainwashed in public schools and institutions of higher learning. America, particularly African Americans, have been hypnotized to buy into a collection of historical lies. Lets’ examine. Back in the 1770’s the American forefathers grew weary of British rule. Americans were tired of being taxed by the British without proper representation. The forefathers said they’ll lay down their lives to fight for their righ...