DAVE ROSS

Is he black enough?

Dec 14, 2012, 8:56 AM | Updated: 1:25 pm

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III passes the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Landover, Md., Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The Redskins’ Robert Griffin III, or RG3 as he’s known, is an outstanding rookie quarterback — and he was asked Wednesday what does it mean to be a black quarterback in the NFL.

“You know for me, I never want to be defined by the color of my skin. You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character. I am an African American in America, and that won’t change. But I don’t have to be defined by that,” said Griffin.

That prompted ESPN commentator Rob Parker to ask:

“My question which is just a straight honest question, is he a brother? Or is he a cornball brother?”

The rest of the panel was a little uncomfortable, asking “Why is that your question?”

Said Parker, “I’m just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue, because we did find out with Tiger Woods – Tiger Woods was like, ‘I got black skin but don’t call me black.'”

So the Twitterverse erupted. And it’s not the first time Rob Parker has asked a question that raised a ruckus.

But SHOULD there be a ruckus? Let’s remember — we were once upon a time discussing whether Barack Obama was black enough.

“First he wasn’t black enough, now people want him to be blacker,” Whoopi Goldberg shouted on “The View.”

While we have a special sensitivity to anything involving race in this country because of our history — it’s not all that different from Conservatives asking who’s a conservative in name only, or union people who cry out scab, Christians asking who’s Christian, or Americans asking who’s a real American.

We’re forever trying to figure out who might just be above us in the pecking order.

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Is he black enough?