Former NBA star Charles Barkley elaborated on his recent comments regarding the Ferguson protests and called for greater dialogue on the issue of race relations during an interview with CNN’s Brooke Baldwin on Tuesday. The interview came a day after Barkley told Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic that looters in Ferguson were “scumbags.”
Charles Barkley on Ferguson: ‘There is a reason that they racially profile us’
The Turner Sports commentator also said he agreed with the verdict in the Michael Brown shooting and that he wishes more race discussions would happen before “something bad happens.”
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Returning to that topic during his discussion with Baldwin, Barkley stood by comments and said the idea that white cops are out to shoot black citizens is “ridiculous.” He also called for greater discourse on race relations in the U.S., saying it needs to happen not simply when controversial incidents like the shooting of Michael Brown occur.
“We never discuss race in this country until something bad happens,” he said.
Barkley, currently a commentator for Turner Sports, said that he agreed with the decision not to indict Darren Wilson for the shooting of Brown, and while he fully supports those who have peacefully protested, “to be burning people’s property, burning police cars, looting people’s stores, that is 100% ridiculous.”
The Hall of Famer also told Baldwin that too many communities complain of racial profiling when cops are simply trying to address legitimate issues.
We as black people, we have a lot of crooks. We can’t just wait until something like (the Brown shooting) happens. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror,” he said of people in black communities. “There is a reason that they racially profile us in the way they do. Sometimes it is wrong, and sometimes it is right.
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