“I am a young black rich m@#%*r,” he said. “If that don’t let you know that America understand black m@%#&*s matter these days, I don’t know what it is.”
At one time or another, most of us have said the wrong thing at the right time. There have even been times when we’ve said the right thing at the wrong time. However, there is an even smaller number that dares to say the unpopular thing, the uncomfortable thing; the “wrong” thing, at the unpopular, uncomfortable, and yes, the “wrong” time.
Those individuals, though few in number, are not always liked, but they are respected. Rapper Lil’ Wayne is one of those individuals. The aforementioned quote was taken from an interview with ABC’s Linsey Davis, when she asked the controversial artist, considered “one of the greatest rappers of all time,” his feelings on the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
This interview came in response to an earlier conversation with Fox Sports 1, in which the artist stated that there was no such thing as racism, and that he had never experienced it. According to pitchfork.com, “When the journalist (Davis) asked if he felt connected to Black Lives Matter, he responded: “I don’t feel connected to a damn thing that ain’t got nothin’ to do with me. If you do, you crazy as s#%t. Not the camera, you. Feeling connected to something that ain’t got nothin’ to do with you? If it ain’t got nothin’ to do with me, I ain’t connected to it.” In the full segment that aired on ABC, Wayne removed his mic and walked out of the interview early, saying, “I ain’t no f@#%n’ politician.”
A Real Stand
Regardless of what some may feel about Wayne’s unconventional music, lifestyle and demeanor, the record executive (born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) no doubt understood the value of saying what needed to be said. Such a move can be daunting and challenging… even if you are the first Black coach to win the Super Bowl.
As a legend in the NFL, Tony Dungy has lived and breathed football his entire life. After playing three seasons with the Pittsburg Steelers, Dungy played his best year in 1978, intercepting six passes and winning a championship ring and Super Bowl XIII. He would later go on to win the Super Bowl again as head coach with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 for Super Bowl XLI.
As a Christian conservative, Tony Dungy is no stranger to controversy. Despite his outspoken views and bold candor, he is both an inspiration as well a target for left-wing pundits and announcers. However, it will likely be the speech he gave at the recent 2023 March for Life that is the current leftist soup of the day.
Here is part of that speech:
“It’s amazing to me that God actually used football to shine some light on the subject of life for all of us. Three weeks ago, during a game in Cincinnati, something happened that impacted our entire country. A young man named Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills made a routine tackle, and his heart stopped beating right on the field.
It could’ve been tragic, but something miraculous happened. Team medical staff rushed out and they got Damar’s heart started again, but you know what? That wasn’t the miracle. The real miracle was the reaction of everyone to that. The announcers on the broadcast, what did they say? “All we could do is pray.” And all across the country, people started praying.
Lauren and I were having dinner with friends of ours, and we stopped what we were doing, and we prayed right there.” He continues: “Those prayers were answered. Damar’s recovering now, he’s home, he’s been released from the hospital. But what’s the lesson in that? An unbelievable thing happened that night in a professional football game with millions of dollars of ticket money on the line. That game was cancelled. Why? Because a life was at stake. And people wanted to see that life saved.
These are people who aren’t necessarily religious, they got together and called on God. Well, that should be encouraging to us, because that’s exactly why we’re here. Because every day in this country, innocent lives are at stake. The only difference is they don’t belong to a famous athlete, and they’re not seen on national TV. But those lives are still important to God and in God’s eyes.”
Dungy’s faith led him to a place only accessed by standing by what you believe. From the day he delivered those words, the former Colts head coach has been barraged by derogatory commentary, disparaging articles and deprecatory discussions all over the internet. Despite their many differences, both Tony Dungy and Lil Wayne understood that standing for truth often means standing alone or being few in number- never running with a crowd. In challenging times such as these, this is a lesson for all of us.
