Sage Steele tweeted without warning or provocation at Bucs Mike Evans for sitting for the National Anthem.
Evans clearly stated to anyone who would listen that this wasn’t about the military, this wasn’t about Colin Kaepernick, it was about Donald Trump.
Steele ignored what Evans had to say and decided to try to tear down a young black man, by using the death of soldiers who gave their life for the freedoms that Evans exercised.
Hey @MikeEvans13_ look up definition of the word DEMOCRACY & remember this pic while kneeling/exercising your right to protest #perspective pic.twitter.com/kGruy3wEDe
— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) November 14, 2016
Trump supporters and racists took that tweet as vessel to harass Mike Evans to the point he ended his protest.
Many minorities, a lot who were in the military were upset with Steele for this and called her out for it.
Steele in turn played the victim card in a Facebook social media post titled Diversity.
Let’s break down this post and see what Steele is really saying.
DIVERSITY
As a self-proclaimed, proud bi-racial woman — my father is black and my mother is white — the word “diversity” is fascinating. These days, I call it “the D word”. Why? Because everyone likes to say it. At work, at home, at the podium, at colleges and universities. Diversity. EMBRACE DIVERSITY! Fortunately, millions of Americans of all races, religions and cultures do just that. But, how many of us actually mean it? Specifically, how many people of color actually mean it? Or is it simply a socially acceptable, politically correct term that just sounds good, and feels good to say, or to demand? Unfortunately for way too many African-Americans and people of color, I believe it’s the latter. I’ve actually believed this for years and have spoken publicly about it a few times recently, contemplating when the best time would be to fully “go there”. In light of recent events around the country and personally, I feel the time is now.
The tone of the post is set right from the beginning. This has post has nothing to do with diversity but just bashing black people while praising that she is bi-racial and that makes her superior.
Black people are the minority, the only way diversity can be achieved is if the majority embraces it, but in Steele’s mind it is black people’s fault it isn’t happening.
She uses a bunch of stereotypes to try to prove her point.
Mainstream media and racists love when black people in power blame black people for issues that white people are causing.
When a black person is killed by the cops, the first thing they do is bring up black on black crime or a traffic ticket the black person had back in 1993. The focus on every single thing the black person has ever done, but not the fact that they shouldn’t have been murder. Those prominent black people will always have a voice in media because it is a way to discourage diversity and equality, not encourage it.
We — as people of color — continue to cry for racial equality, diversity and acceptance, and rightfully so. That said, why must we continue to tear down those within our own race? Why must we shun those within our own race who think differently? Or marry outside of our race? Or vote differently? Or have “good hair”? Or speak differently? Shouldn’t we instead be offering up praise for our wonderful diversity?
Every race has stereotypes, but only black people stereotypes are a blanket for the entire race.
Newsflash Sage, not every black person cares about your interracial relationship, your perceived good hair, how you speak or if you voted for Trump.
Frankly, most don’t care, because we just trying to live our lives the best we can in a screwed up world that at every turn tries to hold us down, our world doesn’t revolve around Sage Steele, we don’t care enough to shun you.
Also pay close attention to how she uses the word “cry”. As if wanting racial equality is like a kid begging for toy in store. We aren’t crying for racial equality, we demand it because it should be something every race has, but in Steele’s eyes it is frivolous and we shouldn’t be worried about.
My mother is a perfect example. Raised by an Irish father and an Italian mother in a small Massachusetts town, she went against her parents’ wishes and married the black man she fell in love with. What she dealt with fresh off of the tumultuous civil rights era was horrific in so many ways — which is one of many reasons why she is the strongest, bravest woman I know. So, instead of rolling your eyes at my black father for “selling out”, shouldn’t you be praising my white mother for following her color-blind heart and not succumbing to the pressures of American society back then? Apparently not. How about now, more than 4 decades later? Instead of giving me those all-knowing looks of disgust and calling me a sell-out when you see pictures of me with my white husband, or see me with my very light-skinned bi-racial children, shouldn’t you be praising that “white boy” from Indiana who followed his color-blind heart and married into a bi-racial culture completely different from his own, to help create a beautiful, color-blind family? Apparently not. Sadly, the list goes on and on, seeping into just about every social and political issue.
You know what is interesting about this paragraph, the two people she says should get praised.
WHITE MOTHER AND WHITE HUSBAND
You know who really took the risk, during the Civil Rights movement?
HER BLACK FATHER
He is the one who could have been killed, but no praise for him. I want you to REALLY read what she just said, she wants you to PRAISE a white men for marrying a black woman as if black women are some sort of plague. She wants you to PRAISE a white woman for marrying a black man as if she saved him from all the horrors of black women in the world.
Only a passing mention of her black father, who if anyone should be PRAISED, but god forbid a black man is praised before a white woman or man, because as Sage clearly states black people are the problem here not white people who should be praised.
Steele is right about one thing, she is blind to color.
Being color blind and being blind to color are two different things.
Most people respect all races, but never forget they are black. You can’t run away from who you are. You don’t keep mentioning your bi-racial, light skin, beautiful color blind family as if your family is better than any other family unless there is some self-hatred going on. Steele is being honest in this post, she doesn’t want to be seen as black, she believes black people are causing their own problems and she wants to be known as proud Bi-Racial.
I have a bachelor and master’s degree and built a business from scratch, you think anyone of that matters to the cop the pulls me over or the person following me in the store? It doesn’t makes how successful I am, I am never going to deflect or run away from being a black man in society where that makes me a target and threat, no amount of money, fame or success is going to change that.
You can be color blind to all races, but that doesn’t change your race and no I am not going to praise your white husband for marrying you, no more than I would praise a chinese man for marrying a white woman. I am not going to praise your white mother, because she wasn’t the one in danger of being hung from a tree.
They didn’t make any grand sacrifice and they are still protected by white privilege something a black man or woman will never have.
Instead of praising or uplifting each other, way too many people of color choose to tear down, mock and spew hatred at other blacks who feel differently, think differently, or make decisions that are different from theirs. That, my friends, is hypocrisy at its best. Or should I say, its hypocrisy at its worst.
The is probably the most ironic thing about the entire post. Steele keeps speaking on hypocrisy without acknowledging the only one who was tearing down a black man was….
SAGE STEELE
She did exactly what she is asking people not to do, so either she thinks we are stupid or she doesn’t really care.
You don’t get a hall-pass just because you’re a minority. Racism is racism, no matter what color your skin is. So when you call me a sell-out, or a coon, or an Uncle Tom, or any other derogatory term to let me know that you disagree with me, you lose every ounce of credibility with those whom you deem racist at the drop of a hat. Does racism against African-Americans/people of color exist? Of course! It disgusts me more than anyone knows and as far as we have come, there is still such a long way to go. I have personally felt it on too many occasions to count, and I will continue to fight it for me, my family and everyone else out there who truly does believe in diversity. But the fact that so many of us actually have to fight back against other within our own race, is incomprehensible and frankly, it’s pathetic. So go ahead. Keep on keepin-on with that double-standard. That hypocrisy. Just know that every time you do, its sets us back even further, and I refuse to be a part of it. Instead, isn’t it time to look ourselves in the mirror and be accountable for our own actions, and not just point the finger at others? Isn’t it time to truly celebrate how beautifully diverse African-Americans are? Believe it or not, we can disagree and still be civil. Respectful. Kind. Accepting of our differences. Isn’t that what DIVERSITY is all about? EMBRACE DIVERSITY…but mean it. All the time, not just when it’s convenient for you. I pray that we can all begin to have more open-minded, non-judgmental, healthy conversations to ensure that diversity applies to ALL Americans, all of the time.
I don’t believe in name calling or screaming at people to get my point across. With that being said there is a big difference between someone calling you an Uncle Tom for throwing a black man under the bus and someone calling you a nigger or saying you should be lynch.
Racism was created by white people, there is no such thing as black racism. Black people’s feelings toward black people who tend to say things like white people should be praised isn’t racism, it is disgust that you would even say that considering what our people have been through.
This isn’t about black people, people aren’t being racist towards Sage Steele, they are calling her because she believes she is special because her heroic white man chose a black woman. They are calling her out for saying asinine stuff like she is being shun because she has good hair, when her hair looks like regular hair. They are calling her out for inappropriately using the military to help racist people go after a young man who is upset about a President who wants a white supremacist to be his right hand man in White House. Sage used some of the most condescending language I have seen a black person in media ever use and that is saying a lot.
I understand many people in media can’t really say what they feel about her post, but I am my own boss and it needed to be said, because I cringed literally cringed at the amount of white people who were patting her on the back for this.
I am not saying all those white media people are racists, what I am saying is that people like Sage makes it easy for them to justify and look the other way about the injustices that are happening everyday to minorities.
It doesn’t affect them, Sage said it is black people’s fault, so why should they care?
Considering black people have been oppressed and beat down literally and figuratively by this country for 400 years, I think some passes are needed. Are black people perfect, of course not, but if we had the same opportunities and privilege as white people, would a lot of these problems Steele is speaks of go away?
Absolutely they would, but Steele refuses to speak on her white husband and mother’s ancestors are part of the reason we are in the situation we are in today, it is all black people’s fault and we should just leave her alone even though she was the one who spoke out against a black man’s right to sit for something he believed in.
In fact she doesn’t do anything be praise white people in her post while consistently demeaning black people while making sure you know she is half white and that should be PRAISED!!!!
ESPN has a lot of outstanding black women at their network who are PROUD of being black that I suggest you continue to support because they deserve. Don’t support the one who is trying so hard to let you know she isn’t.
I can make my points without name calling, because believe it or not all black men have been shot up a bunch of times or made up a stuff in a whole bunch of lines and I am not animated like say Stephen A. Busta Rhymes. Clear, concise, no BS and if you don’t agree that is your prerogative.
Sage if your feelings are hurt because someone calling you a sell out, maybe you shouldn’t have sold your soul for praised from the oppressor.