The NBA All-Star Game has been the subject of some controversy as of late. David Aldridge is longtime NBA Analyst for CNN. In his latest article, he referred to the upcoming game as a “national holiday” for African Americans. He more specifically called the game the “Black Thanksgiving.”
Aldridge did have some basis for his comments. He quoted USC professor Todd Boyd in stating that “the NBA All-Star weekend has turned into a celebration of African American culture by extension.” The article was posted in the center of CNN’s front page. Hundreds flocked to comment on the article, slamming it for its alleged racist content.
One commenter wrote, “Shame on you CNN for perpetrating racism in America…and for what, to get readers? Are you that desperate?”
The article also faced much scrutiny on Twitter. One user tweeted, “Really #CNN an article abt some foolishness entitled ‘black thanksgiving’ was the best you could do?!”
The sub-caption under the article stated, “So you want to know about ‘Black Thanksgiving’? It’s also called NBA All-Star Weekend. For those who attend, it’s an opportunity to go wild and get together.” Clearly, many did not choose to welcome Aldridge’s comments.
