CNN's Lemon: Does the Truth in Barkley's Statement Cause Critics Discomfort?

On a radio show Tuesday, CNN anchor Don Lemon came to the defense of Charles Barkley, who “stirred up a hornet’s nest over the weekend” with his own comments on a report that Seattle Seahawks players think teammate Russell Wilson “isn’t black enough.”

“We as black people are never going to be successful, not because of you white people, but because of other black people,” Barkley had said over the weekend.

“When you’re black, you have to deal with so much crap in your life from other black people,” Barkley continued. “One of the reasons we’re never going to be successful as a whole is because of other black people, and for some reason we’re brainwashed to think if you’re not a thug or an idiot, you’re not black enough. If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don’t break the law, you’re not a good black person.”

“Clearly misplaced criticism of black people by other black people is not the main cause for some of us not achieving,” Lemon responded. “But in all honesty, I have heard a lot of black people have the ‘crabs in a barrel conversation’ in private and behind closed doors.”

“Is that what makes some of his critics uncomfortable, or is the discomfort because there may be some truth to his statements?” Lemon asked.

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