Banning Black males from
basketball does not make
park safer

Last night I was too upset to do a posting. I went to a neighborhood meeting, the third called in the last four years by the same person. The first one I did not attend was all about taking down the basketball rims that were restored after renovation. The basketball courts had been up for over thirty years but the basketball players had evolved from all white youth and young adults, to a mixture of Asians and whites and then a mixture including African American youth and young adults. This person with others managed to get one rim down so there would be no full court basketball playing. But by pointing out this was racial segregation we were able to get all four rims restored.

All was going well till about a month ago when there was gun shot fired in the park, but no injury and no suspect. The same person called another neighborhood meeting to take down one of the backboard and rims so there can be no full court basketball playing. Although people of all ages and all races use the basketball courts it was clear the talk was aimed at African American basketball players. One of the boards and rims was taken down. I did not attend this meeting since I was caring for my godson and his brother and it was clear from email exchanges before meeting the sole purpose of meeting was not park safety but to take down backboard and rims. People used the word ‘basketball players’ as meaning African Americans and associated it with violence.

On the fourth of July there were more shots fired from fighting at a large gathering with drinking in another area of park. There is no picnic area in the park, just basketball, soccer field and playground with bike trail. Last night another meeting was called by the same person and this time he finally got majority at meeting to ask County Parks’ Director to take down all the backboard and rims. This time I attended the meeting and when it was clear the purpose of the meeting was take down the basketball backboards and rims to prevent basketball players (African Americans) from playing. I got angry and called the group on what I clearly considered racism, associated basketball playing (African Americans with violence). During the meeting in the park we could see African American males playing basketball on the remaining courts.
I wrote another email to director of Parks calling it what is was and saying how banning young African American adults, already an endangered species from playing basketball in Doyne Park was not going to make the neighborhood safer. But it might not do much good since the City Alderman of the areas, the County Supervisor, Sheriff’s department and Police all want to please those crying for an end of basketball playing.

What is really sad is that the people at the meeting could not see the racism they were displaying by focusing on eliminating basketball playing now that African Americans were in the park not safety and welfare of all.

My anger and being so upset did not help them but just gave them more excuse to deny racism. The fact that Milwaukee is the most racially segregated city in the USA and taking down basketball courts to keep blacks out of the neighborhood will not help with reducing violence in the city, but may encourage more youth to lose hope. If only they could understand that “Basketball playing, even on a full court, does not lead to crime and violence.” I have done research on the subject but common sense and rationale reason does not matter. When hate and racism is involved it is best not to react but to just keep silent and take the blows of racism nonviolently.

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