White men can't jump

There is a park about four blocks from my house where I go to play basketball and meet kids from my neighborhood. I've been trying to develop relationships in my community and one easy place for me to do that is on the basketball court. The guys there all know me and it's often a chance for me to invite them to special events the church is putting on as well as to witness through my actions. A lot of times I'm just trying to play peace-maker.

The guys I play with are primarily ages 13-16 and live in the projects. Almost without exception, I'm the only white guy who plays there. From day one, I have never felt racial antipathy from anyone. If anything, I have been more conscious of my age than my race, as I am usually the old man on the court. Even with that, on the court all anyone really cares about is if you can play, and if they can beat you.

Being the only white guy doesn't phase me. What does get my attention is when there are two of us. Today was one of those times, only the third to my recollection. He was older, late 30's, at least part Italian and clearly a native New Yorker, complete with the accent and a certain hardness. He was really nothing like me at all. But he was white like me.

"Is that your brother?" The boy who asked me actually knows me a little and has met my sister.

I laughed and shook my head.

"What, you don't know him or anything?" He was somewhat incredulous. In fairness, the only other white people I've seen there were with me: my sister Shannon and Steve Maxon, my former roommate who was visiting. (They had assumed Steve had been my brother at first as well. Then they somehow got the idea that he was Dirk Nowitzki's brother, a notion we perhaps were delinquent in dispelling).

All white people must be related, or at least know each other. It makes me laugh, but it also makes me think. Part of what I hope my presence in my neighborhood can do is help dispell stereotypes and misunderstandings that are the root of much more troublesome racial tension.

You know, like thinking white guys can't ball.