NAACP Reacts to Racist Remarks Allegdly to Los Angeles Clippers Owner, Donald Sterling

Los Angeles Clipper's owner, Donald Sterling with his alleged girlfriend, V. Stiviano, who is alleged to have released a recorded conversation between herself and Sterling, who made alleged, racist remarks about Blacks that has caused a firestorm public reaction.
Los Angeles Clipper's owner, Donald Sterling with his alleged girlfriend, V. Stiviano, who is alleged to have released a recorded conversation between herself and Sterling, who made alleged, racist remarks about Blacks that has caused a firestorm public reaction.

The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP, (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) decided against awarding Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony scheduled for May 15, and is expected to rescind its previous award, following backlash from recorded racist comments allegedly made by the self-made billionaire.

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Lorraine C. Miller

Leon Jenkins, president of the NAACP, Los Angeles chapter, announced Monday, during a news conference, that Sterling will not receive the award and that money Sterling has given to the chapter, would be returned. Jenkins, however, did not reveal the amount of money Sterling had given the civil rights group, according to an April 28, USA Today report.

"It's an insignificant amount of money, and we're going to return it," Jenkins was quoted saying.

Lorraine C. Miller, NAACP's National Interim President and CEO, issued the following statement on the organization's website: “Let me make it clear, the NAACP will not be honoring Mr. Sterling at the upcoming Los Angeles branch event and we have strongly urged our Los Angeles unit to take the necessary steps to rescind the previous award they bestowed on him.  The remarks attributed to Mr. Sterling are outrageous and remind us that racism is alive and well at every socioeconomic level.  With the election of President Obama, many were sold the idea that the United States would be instantly transformed into a post racial society and racism would be eviscerated.  People who bought that idea were sold wolf tickets. As a nation, we must ask ourselves if we are living up to the obligations of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Constitutional that require equality in opportunity for all people regardless of the color of their skin. If we cannot answer in the affirmative, we must redouble our efforts to ensure this goal is reached.  If the adage that silence means acceptance, the worst thing our country can do in the face of bigotry is remain quiet.  We must stand up, speak out and call attention to a real problem.”

The NAACP reportedly now wants a meeting with NBA (National Basketball Association) Commissioner, Adam Silver, to discuss Sterling and the now infamous racist comments Sterling has allegedly admitted to making, according to Silver.

Roslyn M. Brock, NAACP Chairman of the Board of Directors, also provided comments on the National headquarters website saying, “The current political climate in our nation has set the stage for the blatant bigotry we are seeing from the likes of public figures like Donald Sterling, Ted Nugent, Cliven Bundy and Phil Robertson.  As Justice Sotomayer acknowledged in her dissent in Schuette v. BAMN, racism cannot be wished away and must be confronted.  The NAACP will remain vigilant in pointing out and fighting against racism in all its forms to ensure it does not infect the next generation of Americans.”

Calls to the Los Angeles NAACP branch would not go through due to constant busy signals and calls to the national headquarters' media office were not returned by Chicago Citizen Newspaper’s press time.

Deadspin.com, a sports website owned by Gawker Media, reportedly obtained an extended version of the alleged conversation between Sterling and Vanessa Stiviano, the young woman who released the alleged conversation. Following is an excerpt:

Stiviano: I don't understand…I don't see your views. I wasn't raised the way you were raised.

Sterling: Well then, if you don't feel—don't come to my games. Don't bring black people, and don't come.

Stiviano: Do you know that you have a whole team that's black, that plays for you?

Sterling: You just, do I know? I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have—who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners that created the league?

Sterling: You think I'm a racist, and wouldn't—

Stiviano: I don't think you're a racist.

Sterling: Yes you do. Yes you do.

Sterling: It's the world! You go to Israel; the blacks are just treated like dogs.

Stiviano: So do you have to treat them like that too?

Stiviano: And are the black Jews less than the white Jews?

Sterling: A hundred percent, fifty, a hundred percent.

Stiviano: And is that right?

Sterling: It isn't a question—we don't evaluate what's right and wrong, we live in a society. We live in a culture. We have to live within that culture.

Stiviano: But shouldn't we take a stand for what's wrong? And be the change and the difference?

Sterling: I don't want to change the culture, because I can't. It's too big and too [unknown].

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