The public collapses of high-profile careers are often framed as scandals, morality tales, or personal failures.
But when you step back and look at who falls, how fast they fall, and how permanent the damage is, and then you find out they are BLACK, it’s a tough pill to swallow.
Talent does not protect you. Success does not protect you. And for Black professionals, especially Black men in visible positions of power, a momentary lapse in judgment can erase decades of work overnight.
Self-discipline and emotional regulation are not just personal virtues. They are career survival tools.
The downfall of Sherrone Moore is a major example. Less than two years after taking over one of the most prestigious programs in college football, Moore was fired with cause by the University of Michigan. The accusation was an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Hours later, he was arrested following a police response to an alleged assault near Ann Arbor. By the end of the night, a man who had inherited a national championship-caliber program was sitting in jail.
Moore is only 39 years old. Reports placed the value of his coaching contract near $30 million. That kind of opportunity is generational. And now, in what feels like the blink of an eye, it’s likely gone forever.
Shannon Sharpe’s situation followed a different path, but the ending was just as abrupt. He was already a Hall of Fame tight end with two Super Bowl rings. He then became a prominent figure in the media. He collected awards, launched his own podcast, and landed at ESPN. By early 2024, Sharpe was bigger than he had ever been.
That was until Sharpe was accused of sexual assault by Gabriella Zuniga, an internet model he met when she was 19. The lawsuit sought over $50 million in damages. Sharpe denied the allegations, describing the relationship as consensual but “rocky.” A settlement was reached. The case was dismissed. No trial. No conviction.
None of that mattered. ESPN moved on without him. Just like that, the largest platform of his media career came to an end.
This is the part that is often overlooked. In theory, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. In practice, Black men in prominent roles rarely receive the benefit of patience, nuance, or rehabilitation. The accusation alone can be enough.
History is filled with examples. Ime Udoka, Bill Cosby. R. Kelly. Sean “Diddy” Combs. Each case is different. Each involves serious allegations that deserve investigation and accountability. But collectively, they also reveal how quickly Black male power is framed as predatory, dangerous, or disposable once it becomes inconvenient.
Black men in positions of authority already operate under heightened scrutiny. Their behavior is policed more aggressively. Their mistakes are amplified. Their grace periods are shorter. When a white individual makes a mistake, the conversation often turns to context or redemption. When a Black person makes a mistake, the verdict often feels immediate and final.
This isn’t about excusing bad behavior. Accountability matters. Abuse is abuse. Misconduct is misconduct. However, pretending that consequences are evenly distributed across racial lines is dishonest.
The uncomfortable reality is that Black professionals are often allowed fewer mistakes because society is waiting for them to fail. That means self-discipline cannot be situational. It has to be constant. Emotional regulation cannot be set aside in moments of temptation, loneliness, ego, or entitlement.
Power creates access. Access creates risk. And risk, when mishandled, can destroy everything.
None of this should be controversial. Older generations understood it instinctively. “You have to be twice as good.” “Don’t put yourself in certain situations.” These were clear warnings and for good reason.
What’s different now is visibility. Social media, text messages, surveillance, and instant reporting mean there are no private mistakes anymore. Every lapse becomes a permanent record.
This reality makes discipline non-negotiable because the system is less forgiving. The tragedy in all of these examples is not just the loss of money or status. It’s the loss of years of work undone by moments that could have been avoided.
