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While following the news about the NFL protests over the weekend, I was struck by the complex interplay between racism and class privilege reflected in public commentary and criticism about the players. Organizing young people of color with wealth is a core part of Resource Generation’s work, and as we’ve connected with this part of our base we’ve learned about the nuances in how class privilege and wealth mitigates but does not block or end experiences of racism. This was echoed in a recent article, “When NFL players protest racism, some critics see only ‘millionaire athletes’ who should be silent,” where the writer notes that the pushback against Black athletes protesting racism and police brutality captures the tensions between wealth, race, and security. The author writes, “Many people have the false idea that money is a savior, capable of protecting those who have it from all of life’s uglier challenges.”
When it comes to Black professional athletes protesting police brutality, money does not protect them from the ugliness of racism — in fact being highly paid is something critics use in attacks against them. For example, conservative talk radio host Joe Walsh denounced the protesters as “ungrateful millionaire athletes.”
The use of “ungrateful” is particularly revealing. Gratitude is expressed when something is given, implying that overwhelmingly white NFL owners are giving money to undeserving Black athletes instead of compensating them for their labor. The expectation that gratitude is the only emotion and behavior that is permissible for Black football players to express while risking their health and lives to perform physical labor for their overwhelmingly white coaches, team owners, and fans is deeply racist. In addition, the frame of being “ungrateful” echoes that of “government handouts” — the pervasive racist myth that Black people are taking things that don’t belong to them.
Contrast that with how Trump and his billionaire, almost all-white Cabinet — many of whom were born into wealthy families — are presented as “self-made” and as having worked hard and earned their money.