Former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley says he isn’t going to waste his time worrying about “stupid” Confederate statues or trying to convince white nationalist and neo-Nazis that their views are wrong.
Mr. Barkley, a 54-year-old native of Leeds, Alabama, who played his college basketball at Auburn University, said he has spent his entire life ignoring the Confederate statues.
He also said he believes most black people also have not thought a “day in their life about those stupid statues.”
“I am not going to waste my time worrying about these Confederate statues — that is wasted energy,” Mr. Barkley said in an interview with Birmingham TV’s Rick Karle. “You know what I am going to do? I am going to keep doing great things, I am going to try to keep trying to make a difference — No. 1, in the black community because I am black, but also going to try to do good things in the world.”
Mr. Barkley said the black community needs to be focused on more important things — including making sure people get an education, “stop killing each other,” and expand economic opportunities.
“I am not going to waste my time screaming at a neo-Nazi who is going to hate me no matter what,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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