by Etan Thomas
“A speech?” I replied. “Man, I’m not thinking about writing no dag gum speech, right now I’m pissed.”
“This is the perfect way for you to express yourself. This could be your original oratory. You’re always going around here quoting Malcolm X, even when Malcolm X has nothing to do with the conversation or the topic. This could be your chance to speak on a topic that you are passionate about, like Malcolm X did.”
Well, that was the selling point for me and that’s exactly what I did. I went home that night and wrote the speech Mr. Bland told me to write. I told the story of how I was treated by the police. I told how I felt. I talked about stereotypes, perception, racism, prejudice. I talked about how whenever I went down to Woodland Hills Mall I was followed around in the stores. I talked about white people crossing the street when I walked by or locking their doors. I talked about being treated like a criminal even though I had done nothing wrong. I put all of my anger and frustration and passion into the speech just as Mr. Bland told me to do.
I started performing the speech at different speech tournaments around Tulsa, and I was winning. A lot. I won regionals, districts, state. Started going to national tournaments. Made it to the final round at Harvard University where I was competing against students from Ivy League prep schools from around the country. Many at first looked at me like I didn’t belong there, but after they heard my speech they shook my hand and thanked me. So while Booker T. was winning state basketball championships back to back in 1995 and 1996, we also won the state championship in speech-and-debate. The newspapers picked up the story. I had a spread on the front page of the sports section in the Tulsa World. “More Than an Athlete,” the headline read.
The Tulsa Police Department sent me a letter apologizing for what happened and saying they would do an internal investigation. Now, I don’t know if anything ever came from that, but just the fact that they acknowledged it was a huge step for me at sixteen years old. I had found my voice. It was at that point that I realized this basketball thing was something I could use to my benefit. People would listen just because of the fact that I played basketball. I had access to the media. I could talk about issues like Malcolm X did. I could raise awareness, and I had to thank Mr. Bill Bland for opening my eyes to that.
Interview with Russell Westbrook
In light of how personal the Terence Crutcher case was to me, I was so pleased to see so many athletes speaking out about the murder. Athletes from all over the country voiced their disapproval:
Rajon Rondo: Tell me this, how does an unarmed black man whose car is stalled and needs help get shot and killed by police officers, while the NY and NJ bombing suspect who actually shot at police officers gets apprehended and is alive? I guess being black is worse than being a terrorist.
Dwyane Wade: We must come together MORE! We must show our strength as a Black Community MORE! Or we will continue to wake up to stories of US being shot down like WE don’t matter. We must show that we matter to each other MORE! We must all do MORE! #TERENCECRUTCHER #WEAREMORE
Iman Shumpert: Take a good look at my daughter Iman Tayla Shumpert Jr. The moment she was born was the day I saw the world a lot different. All day I wonder how can I raise her the right way and teach her the right lessons. I can’t explain to her what’s going on these days between the badge and the people. The badge was made to protect us, not scare us. #stealthefear #stealfear #weprayforpeace
Through watery eyes, Tiffany Crutcher had explained to me how much it meant for players like Russell Westbrook to speak out on her brother’s behalf. Even though Westbrook was an NBA superstar, an MVP candidate, an icon, he took the time to speak out passionately—and he did so in very conservative and pro–Betty Shelby, pro-police Oklahoma.
I played with Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2010. I have seen him grow and mature. When I was there, some of those guys were young kids. It was James Harden’s rookie year. He actually came up to me the first day, shook my hand, and said, “Nice to meet you, sir. I grew up watching you play.” I was like, “You grew up watching me play? I’m not that old.”
Westbrook was talented, but young. Very young. So when I saw a press conference in September 2016 at which he spoke with fervor and fire about the Terence Crutcher murder, I felt proud. I caught up with him soon after that.
Etan: After Terence Crutcher was killed by the Tulsa police, you came out immediately and expressed your outrage and disapproval.
Russell Westbrook: I think it’s important as an athlete, and specifically as a Black athlete, to be able to support something like this. To be able to support a family that’s in need. I don’t have an answer; in fact, nobody has an answer. If they did, we would be able to fix it, but somebody has to figure out something because this can’t continue to happen like this.
Etan: Were you worried about any backlash from people who had a different opinion or just didn’t like that you spoke up against this?
Westbrook: Not at all. I think that as an athlete and having the platform that I have, I have the courage and the confidence to be able to speak out and not worry about the backlash, to stand by what I stand for no matter who disagrees with me or not.
Etan: Did you receive any backlash?
Westbrook: Not that I saw, but I was definitely ready and prepared for any that would’ve come my way or any questions that the media would ask me about the situation, because it was a horrible situation and I definitely stand by everything I said.
Etan: Have any higher-ups ever told you not to be vocal or speak out on potentially divisive or controversial issues?
Westbrook: Definitely . . . but I was brought up a little differently, me growing up in the inner city, and for me to have experienced and seen some of those things day in and day out and night in and night out, this really hit home for me. I felt it was important for me to step up and say some things that I felt needed to be said, and by someone who has the platform that I have. Something has to change. So I’m going to use my voice as much as possible to be able to relay that message.
Etan: I guess I can understand some agents being overly cautious, but it really depends on the particular CEO for the particular team. Here with the Thunder, for instance, y’all have Ayana [Lawson, director of player services], who is absolutely great in community relations, and you have general manager Sam Presti, who at least from what I experienced is nothing but supportive of athletes using their voices . . . Does having that type of a supportive team help in you being so comfortable and willing to speak out?
Westbrook: Yeah, it definitely does help, but I wasn’t really thinking about all of that at the time. I was just saying what was on my heart.
Etan: Did you get a chance to meet the Crutcher family? I saw that y’all wore the TC on your warm-up shirts, which I know the family really appreciated.
Westbrook: I think it’s important. A lot of people don’t think about the families when something like this happens. The children, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, cousins. I think it’s really important that we think about how the family feels, because they are the ones who lost their loved one in a horrific way. It’s important for us to be able to support a family in need the way they are right now. I can’t even imagine the pain and everything they’re going through. It’s important for us to show them that we support them, have their back, and represent the family, because we know it’s a tough time for them and for Tulsa.
Interview with Anquan Boldin
I cannot tell you how many TV and radio shows have invited me to appear in order to criticize athletes for not speaking out on crucial social issues. These critiques of athletes are not new. They have been articulated for years—in barbershops, bars, on social media, in various articles and blogs, from the everyday fan to the most celebrated scholars. But many are misguided and inaccurate.
What happened in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014, was another catastrophe that affected so many people, including athletes, and especially those with kids. The death of Mike Brown,
the young Black unarmed teen who was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, was a national tragedy.
According to a preliminary autopsy report, Brown was shot a total of six times—twice in the head and four times in the arms. Many questioned how someone could be struck in their right palm unless their hands were up. In addition, why would a police officer shoot someone in the top of the head . . . and then leave him lying dead in the street for hours? Some view the shooting as a public execution.
This is a parent’s worst nightmare. Couple this with the apparent mishandling of the situation by the St. Louis Police Department. Wilson wasn’t being charged with anything, but was put on paid administrative leave in an undisclosed location. This resulted in two weeks of unrest; police clashed with demonstrators in what resembled a war zone in a foreign country.
People were simply searching for answers, but couldn’t find any. An entire community hadn’t had the chance to breathe following the Eric Garner choking incident by the NYPD. Many were still healing from the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, and countless others. On August 14, 2014, USA Today released FBI statistics that confirmed racial disparities in police shootings across the United States over a period of seven years. Data showed that a white police officer killed a Black person nearly two times a week in the United States, which was more than twice the rate of young white people killed by police. Nearly 18 percent of the Black victims were under the age of twenty-one.
President Barack Obama addressed the nation on the tragedy of Mike Brown’s death, the violence that had occurred, and the overall issues that needed to be addressed—which included excessive police force and the people’s right to assemble peacefully. He condemned those breaking the law, reassured them that he understood their frustrations, promised that he was doing everything he could to bring about justice, and spoke to the overarching issue: “In too many communities . . . too many young men of color are left behind and seen only as objects of fear.”
Countless athletes—and entertainers, rappers, activists, authors, journalists—stood in solidarity with Brown and the people of Ferguson, and used their positions and their platforms to voice their disapproval and push for justice.
A group of players from the Washington NFL team (and, yes, I am referring to them that way for a specific reason—out of respect for Native American people), in a show of solidarity before their preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, entered the field through the tunnel with their hands up, referencing how Mike Brown reportedly had his hands raised in surrender when he was killed.
Wide receiver Pierre Garçon posted a photo on Instagram of himself and over a dozen other players from Washington with their hands up in the submission pose. He included the caption: #HandsUpDontShoot We are all #MikeBrown.
Kobe Bryant tweeted a link to an ABC news story about racial tensions in Ferguson. Allen Iverson tweeted a link to an Instagram post of him wearing a T-shirt that read, Mike Brown.
Garçon and his teammates had the courage and felt the responsibility to stand up for what they thought was right. The significance of the public demonstrations of solidarity by the entire secondary of the Washington football team and many other athletes should not be minimized. They are carrying on a great tradition of athletes and activism, and I applaud them for that.
Around this time, I was also very interested in what NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin was doing with criminal justice reform. I saw him testifying to Congress on different occasions and was part of a coalition of athletes he brought together at the Players’ Tribune offices in November 2016, in order to further the discussion on how we can affect change by utilizing our voices, our positions, and our platforms. What really impressed me was everyone’s passion for bringing about real change. And not simply by raising awareness—which, don’t get me wrong, is very important too—but by actually pushing for laws to be passed that directly address myriad topics under the umbrella of criminal justice reform. After the meeting, I caught up with Anquan and asked him about his passion around this issue and what he planned to do next.
Etan: Talk to me about when you testified in front of Congress about criminal justice reform and how that whole process started.
Anquan Boldin: It started when I did some work with Oxfam. My second trip with them was to Senegal. The problem in Senegal was that people were being taken advantage of as far as mining. The laws were so corrupt, it literally made me sick to my stomach to learn the details of what was going on . . . So I had a chance to testify before Congress about that, and we were able to get a number of mining laws changed . . . So doing that gave me the chance to see just how powerful an athlete’s voice really is.
Etan: What happened to push you to go into criminal justice reform?
Boldin: Well, my cousin was killed by a police officer. He was in a church band, and he was coming home from a gig, and his car broke down on the side of the road. He was on the phone with roadside assistance, and this officer pulled up in an unmarked vehicle. He was dressed in jeans, white T-shirt, and a hat. So he pulls up, he doesn’t know the call is being recorded because my cousin is on the phone with roadside assistance and they record all of their calls . . . He asks my cousin, “Hey, is everything good?” And my cousin is like, “Yeah, I’m good, I’m on the phone with roadside assistance.” The cop says, “Are you sure?” My cousin responds, “Yeah, everything is good.” He says it again, “Are you sure?” Then the only thing you hear is, POP POP POP. And then a couple minutes later you hear three more shots—POP POP POP. And he tried to act like my cousin was trying to escape from him or whatever, but my cousin was already dead. And the lady on roadside assistance just starts screaming, “Oh my God, what happened? Oh my God!”
So, that’s what started me off on social activism and fighting for criminal justice reform—because what happened to my cousin had happened to a lot of different people. We never received justice for him killing my cousin. The officer is on house arrest. Still hasn’t actually gone to trial. So I don’t want for any other family to have to go through what my family has had to go through. I had a chance to testify before Congress about changes that needed to be made . . . And this second time I went, I wanted to take some guys with me. So I took Malcolm Jenkins, Andrew Hawkins, Josh McCown, Glover Quin, and Donté Stallworth . . . These were guys that I knew were well-respected in the league, and had been doing a lot of work in their communities. I wanted to bring guys who were serious about this work and also guys who didn’t know how powerful their voices were. I wanted to show them the entire process and experience that I had with Oxfam America and the effectiveness of using my voice. We went in and got meetings with different congressmen and senators and were able to make an actual difference and get laws changed. That’s power.
Etan: What has the reception been as you have come across different guys and have been showing them exactly what they can accomplish and achieve?
Boldin: A lot of guys were very surprised. They just didn’t know that this was possible—to dialogue with actual lawmakers about making changes to the police system as a whole. We want to figure out ways to cut down on recidivism, which is a huge problem and a tremendous issue. Job training, rehabilitation, education. We wanted to come up with tangible solutions. Not just voice our concerns or tell sad stories, which everyone had, but we wanted results, and we got them. And out of that, we have built a coalition of athletes who are willing to come forth. There is so much curiosity.
Etan: Talk to me about Josh McCown. People know him as an NFL veteran, currently quarterback for the New York Jets, but they don’t know his passion for this other work. And with him being a white player, it adds a different dynamic to everything.
Boldin: Josh isn’t just another player to me, he’s more of a brother . . . Now, bigger than me and him and our friendship is the issue at hand. So the public isn’t solely hearing Black athletes discussing the unfair treatment in the criminal justice department and the need for police reform . . . Now you are he
aring a white athlete speak on the same issues and fighting for justice right along with us. He will be able to reach certain demographics . . . whose ears are automatically going to be closed when they see a bunch of Black NFL players discussing police brutality and pushing for criminal justice reform. That’s just a fact. And he knows this and discusses why that fact frustrates him as well, so I am really glad that he has joined us.
Etan: Do these topics divide the locker room?
Boldin: (Laughing) Of course you will get different opinions and different positions even within the racial dynamics. But the reality is, some guys on both sides just don’t want to get involved. They don’t want to talk about it . . . And I can respect that, because this isn’t for everybody. You have to have this passion in you.
Etan: Talk to me about the players coalition. Your numbers are growing of like-minded NFL players who are focused on using their influence to push political leaders to make legislative and policy changes. Really great work you all are doing. What are some of the changes you want to bring about?
Boldin: In a perfect world, it would be equal across the board for everybody. The only way I truly see that happening is if you get man’s heart to change . . . The only person who can do that is God. So where do we go from there? I think you have to deal with the laws that are in place that are discriminating against certain types of people. So that’s the endgame for me . . .