UFC featherweight Aljamain Sterling appeared on the Mighty Cast with host Demetrious Johnson ahead of his match against Youssef Zalal, and the conversation turned personal when the topic of racial identity came up.
Johnson began by referencing a social media post he had recently seen. He described the caption as “the brainwashing of black Americans,” explaining that Sterling had been responding to the content online.
As the conversation continued, Johnson shared his own personal experiences with identity and perception. “When I go to New York and when I’m around other Black gentlemen, they look at me and say, ‘You ain’t Black, dawg. You ain’t Black. Look at the way you dress, look at the way you look,'” he said, describing the kind of comments he has encountered.
Sterling immediately connected with that sentiment, explaining how exposure to different environments changed the way he viewed himself and the world.
“I started seeing other things, I’m like, you know what? This is actually kind of cool. I didn’t know this about myself until I got exposed by this and now I look at things completely different… And I realized the world is bigger than just Uniondale, New York,… all the hoods,” he said.
He then addressed the kinds of accusations he has personally heard, speaking about how narrowly some people define identity.
“I’m not Black because I don’t talk the way that you talk anymore. I’m not Black because I’m not dressing with my a*s cheeks hanging out like I’m ready to get plugged up. Like, what are we talking about?” Sterling said, expressing frustration with those stereotypes.
Johnson admitted that Sterling’s experience surprised him, especially given his background and appearance.
“Even for a gentleman like you who’s a darker complexion than I am, I’m surprised you’re getting that type of questioning,” he said.
Sterling responded by explaining how those criticisms affect him emotionally, describing them as more frustrating than hurtful.
“It’s more annoying than anything. I’m annoyed at my collective people in America that think this way. And because you say something about it, you’re tap dancing and you’re self-hat ing. You ha te your own black community. The thought process in this is so simple-minded. I think it’s lazy,” he said.
He went on to explain how he now views his identity as something flexible and self-defined rather than confined to stereotypes.
“I could have my fun and still keep my culture intact. Still be Jamaican when I want to be Jamaican. Still be an American Black guy when I want to be an American Black guy,” Sterling said.
Sterling closed the discussion by reflecting on the exhaustion that comes with constantly defending his perspective.
“There’s no way I could think the way that I think without having to be self-ha ting, tap dancing, and doing all this. I can’t just have my own experiences that make me feel and think the way that I do. It just gets very tiresome to hear people talk like that. I don’t get it. I will never understand,” he said.
