Harlem Globetrotter Says Birmingham Anchors Threw a Banana at Him

In the state of Alabama, we have this thing where we want people across the nation to stop seeing us as less than progressive ingrates with backwoods mentalities and behaviors.

Well, that means we must start thinking about how our actions will be perceived and the impact our behaviors will have on others.

It is true that racist behavior persists in every area of our country, but only in Alabama does a member of the world renowned Harlem Globetrotters report that news anchors threw fruit at him during a televised segment at a Birmingham-based station.

Maxwell Pearce says that the incident occurred during a January visit to Good Day Alabama, and that he didn’t initially go public with what happened because he feared retaliation which could cost him his job.

However, Pearce said that he felt the need to speak out as an expression that acts that could possibly depict racism are not acceptable and shouldn't be swept under the rug.

The Harlem Globetrotters are known for performing various tricks with basketballs, including sometimes juggling multiple balls. So, having an item thrown to Pearce for the sake of seeing if he'd catch it is understandable.

However, we live in a day and time where racial tensions are extremely high. Though this incident happened in January, before events such as the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (whose killers have yet to be brought to justice, by the way) thrust racial injustices into the national spotlight, the sensitivity of racial depictions and actions have long persisted for people of color. It's hard for many to believe that offending parties are completely oblivious of how their actions are perceived or analyzed.

The station is said to have issued an apology to Pearce and to have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be educated on the issue. Source.