Charles Barkley knows why Russell Wilson is getting ostracized from some African-Americans, including -- allegedly -- some of his own teammates.
Wilson, according to Barkley, isn't "black enough," an issue that came up when Bleacher Report columnist Mike Freeman wrote about dynamics among black players on the Seahawks.
Barkley's sound byte is easy to manipulate when taken out of context. The NBA Hall of Famer actually blames America's black community for pushing down other blacks for the successes they experience.
Talking on WIP Radio in Philadelphia with Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis, Barkley said this:
"When you are black, you have to deal with so much crap in your life from other black people. It’s a dirty, dark secret, I’m glad it’s coming out."
Barkley adds: "With young black kids, you know when they do well in school, the loser kids tell them, oh, you are acting white. The kids that speak intelligently, they tell them, you are acting white."
In Barkley's view, there's nothing wrong with Wilson -- he's simply an athlete who developed and matured without succumbing to some of those toxic influences. But the new criticisms of Wilson highlight the attitudes that still persist among African-American communities, which Barkley thinks is "brainwashing" young people.
"For some reason, we are brainwashed to think if you are not a thug or an idiot, you are not black enough," Barkley says. "If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don’t break the law, you are not a good black person."
Check out the full audio from the radio interview:
