Mike Tyson's Not A Hero

MIKE TYSON would seem an odd candidate for a hero's welcome even if he were not a convicted rapist. He has acquired fame in celebrity-obsessed America only because he excels in an ugly sport that requires one man to beat another bloody. Professional boxing exhibits no heroism.

Add to that Tyson's track record with women and it becomes difficult to see why anyone would want to be in the same room with him, much less honor him. So what possessed a group of prominent New Yorkers who call themselves black "leaders" to arrange a welcome-home rally for Tyson last Tuesday?

Even before Tyson served three years in prison for the sexual assault of an 18-year-old Miss Black America contestant, his maltreatment of women was legendary.

Look hard, and you will find no hero here. Heroes are those who save women from rape. In Tyson, you will not even find a credible role model.

But there are role models to be found in this sordid mess - those who had the courage and common sense to stand up and denounce the Tyson spectacle. Instead of cheering Tyson, we should cheer a coming of age in black America that casts aside some old and dishonorable traditions. One of those is the casual acceptance - if not outright coddling - of black criminals. Another is the tired sexism that ignored the abuse of black women. With the gains made possible by the civil-rights movement and the growth of a black middle class, many black Americans have found the confidence to

criticize other blacks in public.

An ad hoc group calling itself the "Committee for Rational African-Americans Against the Parade" organized to denounce the plans to treat Tyson to the sort of parade usually reserved for those who have done something, well, heroic.

They are not alone in their revulsion. Throughout black America, there is growing resentment of black criminals and the historic tendency of so-called black leaders to downplay the damage they do to black communities. It is easy enough to see why: Crime victims in this country are disproportionately black. The demographic group most likely to be victims of violent crime is black males between the ages of 12 and 19.

Black women, too, are more vulnerable. The demographic group that is the second most likely to be victimized by violent crime is black teenaged girls. Further, a black women is twice is likely to be raped as a white woman, according to Department of Justice Statistics. Black America cannot afford to behave as though Tyson is anything other than what he is - a highly-paid thug.

It must be acknowledged that there continue to be those who pretend otherwise. While the parade and a planned musical tribute were cancelled because of the criticism, a rally attended by several hundred was held in front of the Apollo Theater in Harlem last Tuesday.

'Tis true that black America - like white America - needs heroes to celebrate. But we could have done better than Mike Tyson, and even before he was convicted of rape. Now, he's not even a fit candidate for polite company.

(Copyright, 1995, Chronicle Features)

Cynthia Tucker's column appears Monday on editorial pages of The Times.