We Matter

by Etan Thomas

  Painting the entire, illustrious roster of current Black athletes with this broad brush is just wrong. If he would have said “some” Black athletes of today are lost, I wouldn’t have had an objection. But to say “the contemporary tribe,” as he calls us, “with access to unprecedented wealth, is lost,” is completely inaccurate.

  The book’s subtitle, “The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete,” indicates that Rhoden is convinced that the Black athlete’s willingness to advocate for social and economic justice has diminished since the sixties—and perhaps disappeared—and that there currently exists a “vacuum in leadership” that has led to Black athletes becoming a “lost tribe.”

  Enter the Trayvon Martin shooting . . .

  When a national tragedy such as this occurs, it affects everyone who has kids. This is a parent’s worst nightmare. It is an unfortunate reality that the stereotypes that exist in society can have deadly consequences. Martin was nothing more than a young man wearing athletic shoes, jeans, and a hoodie. He posed no immediate threat and committed no crime, yet was viewed as a criminal, and the only thing that went through George Zimmerman’s mind as heard in the released police reports was that something had to be done to eliminate this threat.

  As I mentioned earlier, my first thoughts after this tragedy were of my son Malcolm, who was six years old at the time. I was devastated. Couldn’t sleep. Hugged him close. Many Black parents had the very same reaction. “How can we protect our sons?” became a question in Black communities and households across the country. Even President Barack Obama said in a national address that the killing of Trayvon Martin requires a national “soul-searching.” “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” the president added.

  Mainstream America simply did not feel this same sense of terror and horror upon hearing this news. So many Americans don’t have the same fear for their children’s lives, which is understandable because their experiences with the police are completely different than those of the Black community.

  Philando Castile did everything by the book. He followed all of the instructions and commands, but was still deemed a threat and killed by the police. What Bill O’Reilly and many others in mainstream America can’t understand is that when your face or your skin is the threat, that will lead to a much different experience, one they cannot relate to. It doesn’t matter what your economic status is, if you are an athlete, whether you have graduated college or earned advance degrees, etc. That could have been anyone’s son.

  This tragedy did not fail to hit home for many athletes. For some reason, people seem to think that the problems and issues of society don’t have the same effect on athletes. People seem to think that there is an imaginary bubble that we all live in that protects us from any harm—but that simply is not the case. As expressed by countless athletes, entertainers, professionals, activists, authors, journalists, Trayvon could have been anybody’s son.

  Commentator Geraldo Rivera said on Fox & Friends that the hoodie Martin wore when he was killed was as much responsible for his death as the man who shot him, and mainstream America seemed to agree with his assertion.

  This prompted athletes from all over to join in the protest.

  Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, arguably two of the top players in the NBA, but more importantly also fathers, decided it was time for them to speak out, as did many others around the league.

  In a show of solidarity, LeBron James posted a picture of all the Miami Heat wearing the team hoodies with their heads bowed and their hands stuffed in their pockets. Among the hashtags James linked to the team photo: #WeWantJustice.

  James told the media “It was very emotional, an emotional day for all of us, taking that picture. We’re happy that we’re able to shed light on the situation that we feel is unjust.”

  Dwyane Wade also posted a picture of himself.

  In an interview with the Associated Press hours before the Heat played the Detroit Pistons, with this tragedy weighing heavily on him, Wade explained, “This situation hit home for me because last Christmas, all my oldest son wanted as a gift was hoodies. So when I heard about this a week ago, I thought of my sons. I’m speaking up because I feel it’s necessary that we get past the stereotype of young Black men and especially with our youth.”

  In a further demonstration of support, several Heat players, including Wade and James, took the floor that Friday night with messages such as RIP Trayvon Martin and We Want Justice scrawled on their sneakers.

  Other players around the NBA were also affected by this tragedy and aimed to show support. Carmelo Anthony tweeted a photo of himself in a gray hoodie, with the words I Am Trayvon Martin!!!!! over the image.

  The National Basketball Players Association issued the following statement:

  The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) offers its condolences to the family and loved ones of Trayvon Martin in their time of need. The NBPA is saddened and horrified by the tragic murder of Mr. Martin and joins in the chorus of calls from across the nation for the prompt arrest of George Zimmerman.

  The reported facts surrounding Mr. Zimmerman’s actions indicate a callous disregard for Mr. Martin’s young life and necessitate that he stand trial . . . The NBPA seeks to ensure that Trayvon Martin’s murder not go unpunished and the elimination of the injustices suffered by the innocent.

  A tragedy such as this doesn’t escape any Black parent.

  As this stance by the Miami Heat proves, contemporary Black athletes are capable of carrying on the tradition of their brave brothers and sisters before them who led the way in challenging racial injustice in the world outside the athletic arena (all while potentially facing the petty and insipid criticism of reactionary media).

  Now, back to Forty Million Dollar Slaves.

  There is a common myth that Black athletes today are disconnected from the Black community, and that the retaliation athletes face from the reactionary side of the sports media has fractured the “common cause” that once united all Black athletes standing for social justice. Many contemporary sports writers, analysts, and commentators agree with Mr. Rhoden’s assertion that after decades of Black athletes who faced the most dire consequences—loss of livelihood and death threats—we have now entered a period where an unspoken code encourages contemporary athletes to avoid “rocking the boat,” lest they risk losing their lucrative sponsorships and opportunities to compete professionally.

  Furthermore, for Black professional athletes who do remain connected to their communities in significant ways, Rhoden focuses on the harsh reprisals that they are likely to face at the hands of the largely white sports media.

  Yet, as seen with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and the rest of the Miami Heat, this dynamic did not prove true. They didn’t receive any ridicule or censure from the team for injecting themselves into a national tragedy and using the company logo to do so. Instead, they drew praise and support from the entire organization, including Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

  The decision made by Wade, James, their Heat teammates, and other athletes to take a stand after the tragedy of Trayvon Martin should not be dismissed as singular and nominal. These are not the actions of a group that is, to quote Rhoden, “isolated and alienated from their native networks” or that possesses an “ignorance of the issues impacting a vast majority of African Americans across the country.”

  Bill Rhoden and those of his ilk should apply the same vigor and thorough analysis to uncovering the positive efforts of contemporary Black athletes to improve their communities and stand up for what they believe in that they do in generating criticism.

  I wanted to ask someone who I have a great deal of respect for about this topic—Michael Eric Dyson. He is a sociology professor at Georgetown University, a New York Times opinion writer, and a contributing editor for the New Republic and ESPN’s The Undefeated. He has authored or edited at least eighteen books to date dealing with subjects such as Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Hurricane Katrina, Nas’
s debut Illmatic album, and Tupac Shakur. He is also a season ticket holder for the Washington Wizards and an avid NBA fan. I have introduced him to guys from my AAU team when we’ve run into him at Wizards games, and I have given them assignments to read some of his work.

  Interview with Michael Eric Dyson

  Etan: What are your thoughts about the rise of athlete activism?

  Dr. Michael Eric Dyson: Well, I think that’s happening more in your sport than in others. I think that basketball is a more liberal, open-minded enterprise, not only from the players but some of the owners. Not all of them. We know about Donald Sterling and his retrogressive views . . . But still, I think that the leadership of the NBA has been far more willing to engage in the exploration of social issues and the elevation of social conscience . . . whether LeBron and the Miami Heat tweeting out a picture of themselves in a hoodie or the I Can’t Breathe T-shirts . . . One of the reasons that Kaepernick’s gesture was so widely denounced within football circles is because despite the fact that, what, 69 percent of the players are Black, it’s still an overwhelmingly white sport in terms of the front office, in terms of many of the culturally conservative and politically conservative ideas that are spouted in those general manager offices and often by the largely lily-white ownership.

  What you see is the reproduction within the NFL of the same conservative ideology that is taken up often by players. Now you have the Bennett brothers stepping up and being honest and open-minded. Martellus basically said, “Look, I’m not going to the White House and I’m not going because Donald Trump doesn’t represent an open-minded approach and a tolerant disposition toward varieties of minorities, and I’m not gonna pretend that I second that kind of belief.” And Michael Bennett essentially said, “Look, the reason Kaepernick doesn’t have a job now is because he led a one-man protest.”

  Etan: Well, we do have a lot of examples of NFL players who have spoken out.

  Dyson: Yes, but I do think that overall the NFL definitely . . . in one sense discourages the kind of outspoken expression that some of the players have adopted. Of course, they have their independence—you mentioned [Richard] Sherman, and [Eric] Reid . . . but in one sense, if you named them then they’re the exceptions . . . By and large, that league does not encourage the kind of independent thought and assessment of social issues that athletes might be encouraged to adopt, and then by adopting to engage in a kind of a serious form of social resistance . . . I do believe that the NBA may in fact be a bit more tolerant and I was beginning to say part of it has to do with who watches it.

  But number two, there’s no question that there have been tremendous expressions of social conscience, but let’s be honest . . . there has been a transition from the sixties and seventies, when players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali took stands in bold fashion for vulnerable populations of which they were a part. Ali against the war in Vietnam, Jim Brown with Kareem supporting him but also speaking out about racial injustice . . . So, there was a different temperature in the culture where it was easier for athletes to speak up in more unexpected ways because they were true representatives of their communities and there were fewer athletes who were Black breaking into these sports.

  Think about it—Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, and baseball as a result had a far greater amount of Black players. But now, those numbers have dwindled, whereas Latino players are 23 percent of Major League Baseball. Now, many of the Latino players are immigrants who are grateful to be in this country and feel no need to point to its flaws and are perceived to be more compliant with the wishes of ownership and general management than Black players, who rightfully believe that as American citizens they have rights and should be treated like men as well . . .

  Etan: Interesting point.

  Dyson: But the transition from the sixties and seventies to now is one of . . . social conscience to social service. Let me tell you what I mean. The NBA, the NFL, maybe even Major League Baseball, they do a great deal of investment into the communities in terms of rebuilding homes, visiting people in hospitals, children, especially those who are sick. Make-A-Wish Foundation. That’s social service, but it’s not social conscience or social protest in the sense of the sixties and seventies . . . In one sense, it is more acceptable for athletes to be involved in a project of charity to the community than it is to point to fundamental forms of injustice in that particular community.

  Martin Luther King Jr. believed that charity is a poor substitute for justice. So, there’s no doubt that the athletes of this generation continue a noteworthy tradition of social conscience and social protest to a certain degree. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony. And, let’s be honest, even they were far outstripped by the women in the WNBA. They are usually overlooked because they are subordinate to the men in terms of gender awareness, because of the persistent sexism in this culture. But when you think of a woman like Swin Cash and what they did to rally their forces to speak out against police brutality and injustice and how Black people and brown people were being mistreated, you definitely can’t claim that the current athlete doesn’t engage in political social activism.

  Etan: I agree.

  Dyson: However, there is a legitimate point to be made that what the league did to absorb some of the social protest and redirect it, and some would say deflect it, is to offer programs of social outreach and social upliftment as opposed to social protest.

  Muhammad Ali suffered for the stance he took. It cost him money. One of the few players that it costs money now, it seems, is Colin Kaepernick, in terms of the sacrifice made and the economic benefit that was denied to him. Very few athletes in this day and age are being denied a living and an economic opportunity because of their social conscience. So they have to be more savvy because, let’s be honest, there’s a lot more at stake . . . The leagues have grown. The economic interests have deepened . . . Therefore, when a LeBron James or a Carmelo speaks out, it’s even more noteworthy for the courage it takes to sacrifice a potential payday . . . But I’ll still say this: the transition from social protest and social conscience to social service has lessened the need of the leagues to be held accountable, politically.

  Etan: That’s true, but you can’t say that it doesn’t exist altogether, right? In William C. Rhoden’s book Forty Million Dollar Slaves, he writes that “black athletes have abdicated their responsibility to the community with treasonous vigor.” The evidence simply does not support that claim in any way or fashion. Come on, Dr. Dyson, “treasonous vigor”?

  Dyson: I think what Bill Rhoden is acknowledging is partly what I’m trying to explain in terms of that transition from social conscience and social protest to social service. On the one hand, I think that you’re absolutely right. Many athletes continue to speak up and speak out, but partly, I think, this has a correlation with so many of the young athletes who may not necessarily be encouraged to speak out during their careers—in fact, who are discouraged from speaking out. “Look, you’re going to lose your contract, keep your mouth shut. Keep your nose to the grind.” Now, this has been said to every athlete of every color. But especially to Black and Latino athletes who have more at stake because their peoples and communities are subjected to some of the horrible consequences of injustice in this culture . . . So you’re feeling that generational tension and the assault upon younger people and not understanding that if you’ve been on Twitter and use social media . . . and you’re promoting Black identities and ideas, that is a different expression, but one that may be equally valuable.

  For instance, when LeBron James gets the agents and companies to hire his young men from his neighborhood, and then he gives them an opportunity to be taught by the best; and then, when they are ready, puts them in positions of authority, gets rid of the white infrastructure, and then puts in place his own African American colleagues and peers, who he’s lifted by virtue of his fame, to positions of authority . . . now that’s a tremendous racially transformative pract
ice. It’s not often acknowledged, but that’s every bit as important, at the end of the day, to do as LeBron speaking out in public against certain forms of racial injustice toward the vulnerable.

  Etan: Good point. We have to examine the long-term solutions. Not just episodes and tirades, but how do you create systemic change and long-term progress?

  Dyson: Now, let’s be honest, many younger athletes have not been groomed in the same way as their predecessors. Meaning, earlier athletes who went to college, had the opportunity to interact with other colleagues and people from the NAACP and the Urban League, from social protest organizations or civil rights organizations at an earlier stage in their lives—resulting in an acute awareness they possessed because they were more part of a broader community. And because of the isolation of some of the athletes, who may not be as intimately familiar with the political strategies being deployed by the civil rights organization, or have been taught to be hostile to them by white money interests that have an investment in keeping them apart. White agents are not going to encourage their athletes to be socially focused. I’m sorry, they’re not. And they’re going to warn them about the consequences of it . . . It makes sense that there would be a diminishment of social conscience among these athletes and a greater sensitivity toward the economic consequences of their protests and a discouraging of them from engaging in social protest.