Charles Barkley has found himself the role as a host for a new six episode series called The Race Card. This show, slated to premiere early 2017, will aim to “bust up the echo chamber mentality that so often has people retreating to corners of the like-minded, where views are reinforced and ideas are distorted into angry, unexamined groupthink conclusions,” at least according to this press release.
“We as Americans never discuss the issue of race in this country and how it impacts everything in our lives until something bad happens,” Barkley told Michael Ausiello of TVLine. “I see this project as a way to talk about race, class and cultural differences and challenge everyone’s status quo.”
As eager as Barkley is to start on this project, he may receive some criticism in the process. Serious analysts of culture have already criticized his opinions, namely addressing the fact that he is in no position to discuss racial issues. After all, he is a widely renowned (and protected) African American in the U.S, so it is unlikely he received much prejudice throughout life.
On the other hand, no one can speak for the experiences Barkley has gone through every single day except himself. Although the safe assumptions made by the likes of Jason Johnson are true in a broader sense, the racism in America is still apparent, and it only seems like Barkley wants to expel that however he can with his platform.
Sure, he may just be throwing jaded statements out there to get a voice heard on the issue, but maybe that's just what you have to do in a society that has witnessed a spiral of silence effect on these racial issue for many centuries.
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