Jerry Jones’ 1957 Little Rock controversy: Stephen A. Smith hits back at Dr Umar Johnson for “50,000 lashes” comment

What happens when you have Stephen A. Smith, Jerry Jones, and Umar Johnson in one news story? Well, it sure gets combustible. None of these people are shy of hogging the spotlight and none of them are known for biting their tongues.

Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about giving his opinions on different matters related to sports and outside. When it recently emerged that Jerry Jones had taken part in an anti-segregation congregation in his youth, it naturally set off recriminations. Smith was quick to point out that it was a long time ago and things have changed since Jones was in his youth.

That did not sit well with Dr Umar Johnson. For him, it was not an isolated event in 1957 but had to be contextualized within his behavior in later years as well. He pointed out that Jerry Jones has never hired a black coach.

Jones was notoriously belligerent against black players taking a knee to protest police brutality when Colin Kaepernick started the trend. He pointed out that Jerry Jones was there with people protesting African American entry into segregated places the same day that the first Civil Rights legislation of the modern era was signed.

He also dragged Stephen A. Smith into his comments, saying that the commentator deserved 50,000 lashes for choosing to give Jones a pass. He pointed out that black people at the time, who were similar in age to the Cowboys owner then, like Emmett Till, did not get that pass.

Stephen A. Smith responded to those comments by saying that Umar Johnson went low and he would not wish that on anyone.

“All I have to say to Dr Umar Johnson is this. I don’t know any human being alive I would wish 50,000 lashes on. Respectfully, how low can you go? Never met you, don’t know you. Educated brother. I wish you nothing but the best. But you would wish that upon another human being? A brother? Really? That’s how low you would go?”

Why Dr Umar Johnson trained his guns on Stephen A. Smith and Jerry Jones?

Stephen A. Smith had said that Jerry Jones was 14 years old when his controversial photo was taken and that it was 65 years ago. He believes that it is wrong for the Cowboys owner to be criticized now. Smith also said that if Jones had been an adult, it would have been a different thing.

Dr Umar Johnson took exception to the fact that Jones did not even have to defend himself because another black man was doing so. It set off this exchange that has now reached a place where it should have never gone.