When Charles Barkley exposed the "dirty dark secret" in the black community: “If you’re not a Thug or an idiot, you’re not black enough”

Charles Barkley is never one to hold his tongue, which is partly why the Hall of Famer has been so revered as a broadcaster following his retirement. As an outspoken and opinionated individual, Barkley made quite a name for himself during his time on Inside the NBA. The position allowed Barkley to remain close to the game while at the same time giving him a platform to speak.

Nearly a decade ago, NFL media member Mike Freeman wrote an article discussing Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. At the time, Freeman's article quoted unnamed players within the organization who allegedly stated that the quarterback wasn't "black enough." The comments quickly made the rounds in the media and drew considerable criticism at the same time.

Although Freeman disagreed with the notion, the ripple effect from the comments saw the story make it over to the NBA. Shortly after the article was released, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley spoke in an interview to discuss the comments, saying:

"You have to deal with so much c**p in your life from other black people. It's a dirty dark secret, I'm glad it's coming out, it comes out every few years. I wrote a bit chapter in my book about it... I said young black kids when they do well in school the loser kids tell them, 'Oh you're acting white,' the kids who speak intelligently they tell them, 'you're acting white.'"

He continued, explaining:

"So it's a dirty dark secret in the black community. One of the reasons we're never going to be successful as a whole because of other black people, and for some reason we are brainwashed to think if you're not a thug or an idiot, you're not black enough."

You can listen to the comments in the video below.

Charles Barkley's comments and their impact

As Charles Barkley explained, he wasn't the only one calling out the notion that black males should act a certain way. At the time, he referenced how longtime journalist Stephen A Smith had made similar claims.

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In addition, Barkley also wound up pointing to how many black athletes go broke after retirement. He continued his reasoning, explaining that no other ethnic group of people equates jail time with 'street cred.'

"When you're successful, your friends say 'oh you aint cool, you ain't down' and you end up giving all your money away to these damn losers and you end up broke again."

Many years before, Barkley made an infamous ad where he aimed to teach young kids what makes a 'role model.' While explaining that he isn't a role model, Barkley implored parents to be role models rather than athletes. He explained years later that the commercial is one of the greatest things he's ever done in his life because the world needs fewer kids growing up wanting to be Jay Z.

You can watch that video, and the referenced commercial, in the video below.

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