Charles Barkley On The Difference He Saw From Visiting Black And White Schools: “Our Black Youth Are Brainwashed”

Charles Barkley revealed how kids answer one question in a completely different way depending on if he's talking in a predominantly White or Black school.

5 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

NBA players are role models to millions of children around the world, whether they want to be in that position or not. Children naturally gravitate towards athletes and other popular figures while growing up, idolizing what these people do. This leads to them forming certain goals in life, which might be similar to what they watched on TV.

Charles Barkley insisted on not being a role model, even doing a Nike ad to tell parents that he is not a role model for their kids. However, with age, Barkley has become extremely insightful and revealed an interesting observation he has made from giving talks in predominantly White and Black schools, and how they answer one question differently. 

“I do this science experiment when I am in school. Let’s say I am in a White school, I say ‘how many want to play pro sports?’ Less than 10% raise their hand. ‘I wanna be a doctor, I wanna be a lawyer, I wanna be an engineer’. When I speak at Black schools, 90% of the kids want to play sports. 90%. There’s a couple that wanna be doctors, which makes me proud, but 90% of the kids when I speak in Black schools… Our kids are brainwashed if they think they can only play sports or be entertainers. You have a better chance of being a doctor than being in the NBA.” 

The opportunities available to kids across races aren’t necessarily equal, so there’s a reason why kids of a certain race might not aspire to the same jobs as others. Barkley is right when he says it’s easier to be a doctor than an NBA player, but it isn’t easy to afford almost 14 years of medical school, or 5 years of law or engineering school, as compared to working hard for a college scholarship to play basketball.


Why Are Such Divisions Still Affecting The Pipeline Of Athletes?

The reasons children pick such paths and why it has a correlation with race are based on the opportunities children from these races have been given historically. Things are changing slowly, but societal change can’t happen with just a few talks at schools and takes years to implement. NBA players like Michael Jordan and Kyrie Irving have been donating to empower their communities but again, it will take longer. 

In an ideal world, every kid has equal access to sports and education, so that the best in every field can naturally rise to the top. Many Black athletes and entertainers have built themselves out of nothing and didn’t rely on taking on debt that they couldn’t afford to finish college. 

Children growing up in ghettos can look at athletes as positive inspirations to change their lives. LeBron James is a fantastic example of someone trying to change this by providing underprivileged kids access to STEM education through his I Promise School.

They can dream to be athletes and entertainers but the system should educate them enough to also understand the value of a full-time profession they can fall back on if their dreams don’t work out. Similarly, students of other races can also aspire to be athletes and entertainers. It’s just been a matter of the empirical experience by these communities over 100s of years and how it has shaped the thinking of the children that grow up in these communities even in 2023. 

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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