The liberal cocoon of Boston just can't win for losing as it tries to shed its racist image. Media types, 185,000 of them according to an internet search, did everything they could to keep that stigma alive yesterday. They reported that the Boston Police Department's decision to honor a white man during Black History Month is just part of the continuing saga of racism in Beantown.
The NAACP and the mayor were outraged that the legendary Red Auerbach (photographed with former Celtics' star Bill Russell), the former coach and executive of the Celtics' dynasty of the 1960s got Black History Month kudos from the police. He was the first to bring a black man into the NBA, the first to start five blacks in a game and the first to hire a black head coach. Sorry, that didn't cut it. Here's the Boston NAACP's Facebook response:
"The decision of the Boston Police Department to celebrate Black History Month by celebrating a white man for hiring Black people is beyond perplexing. It is sad. It is very sad.
"As an organization we are often asked why we talk about race. We are asked to give the City more credit for progress. We do...and then this. Every time we think there may be some signs of hope...we get a reminder that we have a long way to go. A mighty long way to go.
"The people of Boston deserve an apology...and not the tweet that says “may have offended some”...or “not our intention”. That does not matter. The tweet was offensive. Period.
"Solution: Every manager of people in the City of Boston must participate in professional development focused on the History of Boston and Racial Inclusion. It’s basic, but let’s start there because clearly people do not know our history....Black History is our history as a City."
This morning, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called the BPD post “completely inappropriate and a gross misrepresentation of how we are honoring Black History Month in Boston.”
That did it for Boston PD, which deleted the tweet. Later the police posted a tweet honoring Hall of Fame former player/coach Bill Russell, who's black. Apology not accepted, and the media took it from there.
Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports also called a "technical foul" on Boston blue for not recognizing the city's sordid racial past:
"It’s impossible to ignore Boston’s history here. The Boston Red Sox were the last team to integrate. It took until 1959 before the club promoted an African American player to the majors. That issue emerged again in 2017 when Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said he heard racial taunts while playing at Fenway Park.
"(Celtics' Hall of Fame center and the NBA's first black coach Bill) Russell was not immune to that during his playing days. In his memoir, Russell called the city a 'flea market for racism.'”
On Boston.com, Nik DeCosta-Klipa added further insult: "The police force has been criticized in the past for being disproportionately white compared to Boston’s population, though the department says it is trying to increase its diversity."
Later Boston PD issued an apology: "BPD realizes that an earlier tweet may have offended some and we apologize for that. Our intentions were never to offend. It has been taken down." BPD followed up with a second attempt to tell the public it's not racist:
#ICYMI: In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth we pay tribute to Bill Russell, one of the greatest @celtics of all time and the first African-American head coach in the history of the NBA when he was named @celtics coach on November 15, 1966.
No matter. Boston is racist and media race-baiters will remind everyone of that forever.
