A station owner makes no difference and isn't my point but if you're saying that BET is owned by white people then that solidifies my point.  Owners are in the business of servicing target audiences, end of.  If I extrapolate your point, BET is gonna start airing white-centric shows/videos (whatever they may be..lol)
If you're saying that mainstream poker events have been aimed at white people in the past hence the need for this black event, I don't know the validity of that but remember the players here have the financial ability to enter most tournaments in the world so this doesn't help the average guy on the street who happens to be black. I'm a white person and can't afford to enter poker tournaments, I don't feel discriminated against, just pi55ed at my standing in life, lol.
We could have a meaningful discussion about why mostly white people can afford to play in them making tournaments appear defacto exclusive, but that's a completely separate and distinct point.  Tournaments are open to anyone who can afford to enter and not at the expense of just blacks (to generalise, I realise that are and have been many wealthy blacks) but at the expense of poor people...but that's the way it has to be, it's gambling...poor people shouldn't gamble if they can't afford the basics in life, right??
Tiger Woods has risen to the top of a hugely, overtly, historically racist sport; I have no idea what Phil Ivey says on his ability to get into some tournaments and that would be interesting to find out.  My impression is that to become a top poker player one needs more than talent, one needs a bankroll so where did he get his??  It could be that he was wealthy anyway or was so talented people backed him, I don't know.

Dude... BET is one of about 150 cable channels that targets black audiences. So no... they're not gonna start airing Friends reruns anytime soon.   That's pretty much the ONLY cable network that caters to that particular audience. My point was that people shouldn't take exception to that network when there are HUNDREDS of others that largely cater to white audiences.

Have you ever seen a national poker tournament with a table full of black players? Nooope. Not unless it was called the black poker tournament... Have you ever seen a national poker tournament with a table full of white players? Hell yeah. Not saying that this is by design but I personally dont have a problem with it any more than I have a problem with the puerto rico day parade, spanish speaking television channels, st patricks day, the gay pride parade, etc... all of which are by nature exclusionary. If there's no hate, malice, etc attached to it then I don't see what the issue is. Its not a 'we hate everybody else, it's hey, this is for us'.

I get that it may reinforce certain divisions, but does it reinforce, or does it simply expose?

u biscuit  hahaha

Hey as I said earlier you want a black's only poker tournament, go for it. But when Sharpton calls foul on a white's only poker tournament don't cry if I take him down an alley and.... smack him up side the head with a 9-iron..... What? You think I should use 5-iron maybe?

And besides as Benevolous says the only colour one needs to concern oneself is that whoever plays shows up with lots of their green friends. Jackson, Hamilton, Lincoln. They can take Washington to the strip club.

My link was an attempt at levity....breathe, breathe.
As for the rest of your post...is this the Government attitude of you did it to us so we're doing it to you?? Lol.
We understand that segregation happened and was inexcusable. I'm sure some disagree but we don't live in those times anymore so your post is moot.

Hey, points taken. I wasn't limiting the scope of my comments to poker. I was referring to events across the board, including BET, which someboy brought up as an inappropriate/offensive/divisive use of the term BLACK Entertainment Television.

It's all good though. When it comes to poker, yeah... the only colour that matter is Green. And I'd be happy to take anybodys money in a game of Texas Hold'em.

Oops... cross-posts. Texas Hold'em eh? Time and place, I think you'll get quite a few takers....

Now you know we can't talk like that in here SG... I meant to say a rousing game of Texas Hold'em bingo. We all know gambling is illegal!!!!