LeBron James’ track record of fighting for social justice and the Black community off the court is as strong as his on-court resume. He’s long used his platform to speak out against police brutality, racial injustice, and systemic racism that creates such inequity in America.
Unsurprisingly, he’s been very vocal this past week following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, which sparked nationwide protests that continue as people speak out against police brutality and the disproportionate targeting of the black people by police forces across the country. James has explained to Drew Brees why his anti-kneeling stance is one borne of privilege, as Brees citing his grandfather fighting in World War II ignores black veterans that returned to face racism and weren’t afforded the opportunities of their white counterparts.
When Fox News’ Laura Ingraham defended Brees’ right to have his own opinion, he took her to task for coining the term “shut up and dribble” in response to LeBron’s outspokenness on political and social issues in the past. Not long after that, LeBron posted a video made by his company, Uninterrupted, that explained in plain text why no athlete can “just stick to sports.”
It is a simple, yet powerful message, explaining why he and other athletes use their platform to speak up. It’s because white people have the privilege of compartmentalizing the issue and pushing it to the side, looking to sports for distractions from real world problems that may otherwise inconvenience them, even if not directly affecting the. Those sports are filled with black men and women who can’t ever push the issues of systemic racism aside, because it impacts their own lives, their families, friends, and communities every day.
While the NBA looks to a return to play plan, you can be sure that players will not simply return to the court forgetting what is happening right now in America. They will use that platform, where millions will want to tune in to watch sports return, to speak out and keep the message alive, as they should.