Achieving greatness

I'd like to say that I planned it, but I'm not that well organised.  It's a happy coincidence that, 'Michael', the next volume in 'A Little Something To Hide' should come out during the Olympics.  It's great to share a story of athletic excellence at the same time that the world's sporting elite stun us with their exploits in Paris. I'm also happy to say that Michael's story is an uplifting tale after the  suffering of 'Rosa', although that wasn't entirely down to planning either.  When I first conceived the phenomenal talent that is Michael Williams, I had somewhat different thoughts in mind. I’m not entirely sure what possessed me, but when we lived in the US, I often listened to what I referred to as ‘Right Wing Radio’ on my drive home from work. For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the station, and twenty years on, the names of the shock-jocks who hosted the show have also vanished from my memory. That’s a good thing, they were poisonous and their contribution to political and social discourse is something that I’m pleased to have left behind. There is little that I remember from those journeys, listening to the prejudices of the radio hosts and their callers, but one call has forever stayed with me. The topic for debate was affirmative action in American colleges, with the show’s host filling his privileged white boots with an argument that entry into the nation’s elite educational establishments should be based on merit (ignoring the reality that for many, their meritocracy comes in the form of fiscal supremacy rather than academic talent). A caller, whose argument that affirmative action was a necessary device to support the equalisation of opportunities for people of colour, was induced into agreeing that the introduction of an identical policy into the NBA, to give more white boys the opportunity to play elite level basketball, was a ridiculous notion, that the NBA is, and should always be, a place where the very best of talent rises to the top irrespective of ethnicity. In compelling her to agree to his notion, he succeeded in undermining her case. In that moment, I thought he made a valid point, my own white privilege asserting itself in favour of his, rather than the woman’s arguments. What I failed to appreciate at the time were the challenges that ethnic minorities, and Black Americans in particular, have to overcome along the way to success. In his outstanding book, ‘Why We Kneel How We Rise’, Michael Holding, former West Indian cricketer and a broadcasting legend, illustrates clearly why the white shock-jock’s argument was both facile and deeply offensive, coming as it was from a place of deeply rooted prejudice and an ignorance of the systemic racism that Black people routinely face. With the benefit of time and a growing appreciation for the world in which we live, I have gained a greater insight into why the radio host’s arguments lacked balance and reason, but were instead hostile and lacking in empathy. He attempted to undermine a mechanism that is intended, however imperfectly, to level a playing field that is, and always has been, skewed in favour of whites, ignoring the hurdles that Blacks and people of colour must overcome to achieve parity with others. His argument for a meritocracy in education failed to recognise that whites have an institutional head start, that the aim of affirmative action is to get Black students to the same place on the starting line as their white counterparts, not wittingly promote people of lesser ability. Having once been good, but not great in my chosen sport of football, I also gave some thought to the excellence required from any athlete that makes it at the highest level of sport. An athlete’s physical attributes, the obvious one in the case of NBA players being height, is not enough to guarantee entry into the upper echelons of the game. One must combine their natural physical advantages with talent, technique, skill and fitness. Above all, dedication and hard work is required to combine these attributes to achieve elite level excellence. In my original notes about Michael, I planned on him coming from a dirt-poor background and a deeply dysfunctional environment. I intended an unpleasantness to his character that would see him sacrifice his brother to achieve his goals – I don’t like to consider where my head was for that thinking to emerge, but I’m pleased to say that as I wrote Michael, a wholesomeness appeared in the Williams family that makes for a much better read. Michael’s chapter is about demonstrating the attitude and commitment required to achieve at the highest level, and in part challenges the inference from the contemptible radio host that merely being tall and black is enough to succeed. So much more is required and, as demonstrated in the Williams family, so much more can be achieved in an environment where a focus on discipline and effort can deliver outstanding results, both on and off the basketball court. The NBA is filled with young Black men who have been given the opportunity to succeed because of their recognisable talents, their commitment to hard work, and let’s be frank, the financial benefit they will deliver to the NBA’s franchise owners. Imagine how much more the Black diaspora could achieve if the same emphasis was given to rewarding its talented academics or artists, its inventors and entrepreneurs, or to promoting those whose talents lie dormant for want of an opportunity to be discovered. Surely the world would be a better place for it. One final reflection before I close … Momma, who you'll meet in part four, is my favourite character in ‘A Little Something To Hide’. I can see her more clearly than anyone else I wrote, and I mightily enjoyed discovering her and all that she represents. There’s a part of me that would just love to sit alongside her on the veranda in King City, a glass of her world-famous iced tea in hand, and listen to her view on the world. I still have so much more to learn about the inequities in this world and how to address them, but I think that sitting next to Michael’s mother on a sun-drenched deck, listening to her musings, would be a great place to start. If you'd like to join us there, pick up the latest volume in the 'A Little Something To Hide' series. Craig Brown is an author living in Newbury. Discover his serialised novel, 'A Little Something To Hide' at craigbrownauthor.com BlueSky/Threads/Twitter: @GOMinTraining Copyright © Craig Brown, 2024 6 August 2024