CNN's Lemon: Charles Barkley Ripped for Telling Truth to Blacks

CNN anchor Don Lemon says basketball great Charles Barkley is being criticized because there is truth in his comment that "unintelligent" black people are trying to hold back successful blacks.

"Clearly misplaced criticism of black people by other black people is not the main cause for some African-Americans not achieving success," Lemon said Monday on the "Tom Joyner Morning Show."

"But in all honesty, I've heard a lot of black people have the 'crabs in a barrel' conversation in private and behind closed doors. Charles Barkley just took it public."

"For some reason we are brainwashed to think, if you're not a thug or an idiot, you're not black enough," Barkley said on "Afternoons with Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis."

"If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don't break the law, you're not a good black person," he said.

Barkley was responding to reports that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been called not "black enough" by some of his teammates.

"Is that what makes his critics so uncomfortable?" Lemon asked. "Or is the discomfort because there may be some truth in his statements?"

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