Tag: systemic racism

Jemele Hill isn’t a fan of Kyrie Irving – Kaepernick comparisons

The Atlantic columnist doesn’t care for those comparing Kyrie Irving’s activism with Colin Kaepernick’s – though she supports Irving’s efforts.

The NBA has taken on the mantle as the most socially aware professional sports league in the United States for some time now, and the Disney restart ‘bubble’ truly underscored that fact this summer.

And with that mantle comes frequent criticism akin to that seen in the NFL with the same sort of footing (and kneeling) outspoken quarterback and organizer Colin Kaepernick became in that league.

Former Boston Celtic point guard Kyrie Irving joined his former teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in questioning whether the restart might detract from a burgeoning civil rights movement unfolding during the league’s pandemic hiatus, and drew criticism and praise both for it.

Some of that included comparisons to Kaepernick, which Jemele Hill — host of the “Jemele Hill is Unbothered” podcast and Atlantic columnist — did not think fair.

Speaking on the “Heavy Live with Scoop B” show recently with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Hill questioned the comparison.

“[N]o disrespect to Kyrie because I think he has been so intentional, so vocal and so genuine about being a change agent,” she explained. “Especially for what he’s extended to women in particular, to create a fund for WNBA players who decided to sit out the season because of COVID-19 concerns or wanted to focus on social justice to provide that kind of support.”

Here the former ESPN analyst refers to Irving’s $1.5 million fund he set up in the midst of the hiatus.

Designed to help keep players in the NBA’s sister league solvent while they worked out their personal paths forward, it was a class act from the Melbourne native.

“It says a lot about who Kyrie Irving is and what he cares about but, let us not lose sight of the fact that Colin Kaepernick made a very specific sacrifice and he had something taken away from him simply because he had the audacity to demand that Black people be treated as human and his whole career was stolen from him.

Kyrie Irving will still get to play basketball. He’ll still get to … maybe lead the Brooklyn Nets to a championship … Colin Kaepernick won’t get that opportunity; and so, there’s an inherent difference there that I think in terms of like-mindedness is very similar; Kyrie is about liberation and equality and support and so I think Colin is about those very same values.”

“I think that the difference is that Kyrie will be able to use his sports platform to continue to promote the things that are important and that part was taken away from Colin,” Hill added.

It may seem like a small distinction to some, but it’s an important one, and one that doesn’t detract from anything Irving has done or will do.

But it also needs acknowledgement, if for nothing less than to contextualize the degree of sacrifice Kaepernick underwent for the cause he believes in.

To be clear, it’s not required that someone supporting the cause put as much on the line as Kaep did, but conversely we can support Irving’s activism even if we want him nowhere near a Celtics roster again.

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Jaylen Brown, NBPA, Dove launch initiative promoting racial justice

Boston Celtics veteran forward Jaylen Brown has teamed up with the NBPA, his 7uice Foundation and Dove Care+Men to shift the narrative of how Black men are framed in society.

Boston Celtics veteran wing Jaylen Brown has teamed up with Dove Men + Care and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to create a new initiative with his 7uice Foundation designed to transform how Black men are framed and seen in society.

In a new public service announcement recently posted to his Instagram, the Cal-Berkeley product shared news of the initiative.

“Black men care about their community, their women, their kids and this world,” began Brown. “That’s real!!!”

“That’s why [Dove Men + Care] is joining me and my [NBPA] family to CHANGE how the world sees Black men, starting by improving education for our next generation through my 7uice Foundation.”

“Join us and learn more at committocarenow.com,” he added.

The initiative focuses on public safety, safe and fair voting, and community engagement while advocating for fair and accurate portrayals of Black men in media, according to its website.

Brown has been a leading voice in the fight for racial equity almost from the moment he joined the league, regularly finding ways to bend his platform to help leave things for those who come after a little better than he found them.

His 7uice Foundation has brought extra inertia to those efforts while Brown himself has expanded his leadership through service by becoming a Vice President of the NBPA while working closely with the Celtics on their new social and racial justice promotion project, Boston Celtics United.

After being one of five such persons in the wider NBA community to receive the league’s Community Assist award this season, it’s clear Brown’s efforts are striking a chord among his peers.

His goal of making this sort of action a trend among those peers seemingly gaining traction as he links up with the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon, Utah Jazz’ Donovan Mitchell and NBPA President Chris Paul in this initiative and like-minded NBAers in others.

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Jaylen Brown wants to make NBAers supporting local causes a trend

Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown wants to normalize NBA players using their platforms to better their own communities.

Boston Celtics veteran forward Jaylen Brown is much more than just an athlete — and to him, that’s a badge of pride he wears with honor.

He wants to use his platform to push issues to the forefront of popular consciousness particularly when the issue at hand is an uncomfortable one with significant impacts, like race relations, the impact of educational policy on social mobility, or the risk of playing sports in the midst of a pandemic.

And according to the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, the Cal-Berkeley product also doesn’t consider himself some sort of “new age leader” by doing so.

“I guess [being the focus] doesn’t mean as much to me as people would think,” Brown related.

True to his word, the Georgian has consistently decentered whatever issue he tries to tackle through using his platform to keep our eyes and ears focused on the topic at hand — instead of the speaker.

“I think that needs to be normalized,” he continued.

“I think that needs to be a redefinition of what a modern athlete is. Yes, we’re here to play basketball and entertain, but at the same time there’s a lot of influence and responsibility that comes with it, to be honest, especially in American sports.”

Truth be told, that responsibility is no small part of the reason why less people take stands on potentially contentious issues — they don’t want to become the center of a media circus if they say something taken out of context or that was misinformed.

An issue Brown has pointed out more than once; “I’m not a politician,” the Celtic wing observed.

“I’m not a civil rights leader or anything like that, but I do recognize that I have a platform and hopefully I can try to enhance voices that get lost in the midst of things and also enhance all these grass-roots organizations that are devoting their time, energy, and life 24/7 to this.”

“I just really want to enlarge those voices, but it’s less so about me, it’s about the cause and things we are fighting for,” he added.

“Any time I’m in front of a camera or I know people are going to see me, I always try to think of the people that’s watching in my community,” related Brown.

“I’m human. I’m young. I make mistakes. I carry myself with the regard that people are going to be watching me and I want them to know that things that are cool now, that are trends, don’t have to be trends … The cars. The lifestyle. The women. All that type of stuff is cool, but also taking care of your family, speaking on your community, helping your community, using your voice. I want that to be cool, too. Not just who you are dating on Instagram, not what kind of car you’ve got or house you’ve got. It also should be cool that you helped your community, that you started a community store in your neighborhood.”

“Those should be flexes, rather than the jewelry or the stuff that’s the norm for NBA players,” he explained.

Brown spoke at length on his motivations for believing that it is possible to advocate for tangible change beginning at the community level in Washburn’s interview with the young NBA activist.

His Hall of Fame aspirations go hand-in-hand with his desire to leave a better world in his wake on the way are part and parcel of what makes the Celtics so lucky to have him on their roster.

And for those who’d prefer him to “shut up and dribble?”

“They always want to put a camera in an athlete’s face, but they don’t want to respect when we have something to say.” Brown opined. “What’s the point of putting a camera in our face?”

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Celtics Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum feature in new NBPA voting PSA

Star Boston Celtics wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are part of a new Public Service Announcement encouraging people to vote.

“Silence is violence” reads the shirt sported by Boston Celtics All-NBA small forward Jayson Tatum in the clip below, designed by Philadelphia Union midfielder Warren Creavalle.

Tatum, in fact, is the first face you see in the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) public service announcement “We stand because we have to” that was released Friday in conjunction with the Black Players for Change (BPC) to encourage people to vote in the coming election.

The video included teammate Jaylen Brown and fellow NBPA members Malcolm Brogdon, Andre Iguodala, Austin Rivers as well as a number of BPC members, and was created “to keep social justice and racial equality at the forefront of the conversation heading into the upcoming election” according to the NBPA.

“We are honored to collaborate with our brothers in the NBPA in the struggle for racial equality and human rights,” shared BPC Executive Director Justin Morrow.

“Our hope is the messaging in the video will resonate with all those standing shoulder to shoulder with us as we do our part to make change,” he added.

“We stand with our brothers from Black Players for Change as a reminder that we will not forget about the victims of police brutality and racial injustice and we will not stop fighting for change,” related NBPA President Chris Paul. “We urge everyone to fight with us, and use their vote to make a difference in this coming election.”

Both Brown and Tatum have taken an increasingly active role in such initiatives, the former in particular taking a hands-on approach to the Boston Celtics United initiative, as well as in Brown’s role as one of several Vice Presidents of the NBPA.

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Boston’s Jaylen Brown among 5 winners of NBA’s Community Assist award

Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown was one of five players awarded the 2019-20 End-of-Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work on racial justice.

Boston Celtics veteran forward Jaylen Brown has been awarded the 2019-20 End-of-Season NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, according to a press release circulated by the league.

Brown, along with the Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes, Milwaukee Bucks’ George Hill, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chris Paul and Dallas Mavericks’ Dwight Powell, were awarded the honor “in recognition of their continued commitment to positively impacting their communities through sustained efforts over the course of the season,” per the NBA.

“This year’s end-of-season award recognizes five players whose exemplary work advanced social justice and provided COVID-19 relief and support,” the league explained further.

“The five recipients made concerted efforts throughout the 2019-20 season … to leverage their platforms and voices to engage, empower and support different communities amidst the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and social justice movement following continued incidents of racialized violence against Black men and women. Each winning player will receive $10,000 to their charity of choice, a donation from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente.”

Brown was so honored for his “leadership in Boston and Atlanta and throughout the hiatus and restart, organizing action and advocating for racial and educational equity.”

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia native has been taking a leadership role in the league on a wide range of issues, and the series of crises faced by the league and the US since has only magnified his leadership skills.

“Following the killing of George Floyd, Brown drove 15 hours to his native Atlanta and organized a peaceful march on May 30. Brown’s impassioned advocacy towards social justice inspired the Boston Celtics United for Social Justice campaign, a multi-focus commitment to addressing racial injustice and social inequities in the greater Boston area. In response to the pandemic, Brown made a significant contribution to the Boston Resiliency Fund, a city-led effort to assist communities most impacted by the pandemic.”

“His generous donation provided meals for senior citizens and families most in need, new technology for students as they transitioned to remote learning as well as continued support for first responders,” noted the league.

Brown chose his 7uice Foundation to receive the award’s $10,000 donation, which is “dedicated to positively affecting the lives of “at risk” children and young adults through educational, athletic and social programs.”

True to form, upon hearing he’d won the award, Brown replied “There is so much more work to be done.”

And knowing the Cal-Berkeley product, he’s probably already got a plan in place to do it.

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Jaylen Brown plans to continue using his platform for positive change

Just because Boston’s time in the bubble has ended doesn’t mean Celtics forward Jaylen Brown plans to stop fighting for a better world.

Perhaps more than any other player in the Disney restart bubble, Boston Celtics veteran forward Jaylen Brown used his platform to fight for racial equity.

A leader in the league almost from the moment he joined the NBA, the Cal-Berkeley product leveraged his position to amplify existing fights for racial equality, and his thoughts to new interventions like the “Boston Celtics United” initiative his team unveiled in recent weeks.

So when he was asked about the political donations of team owners in the NBA going to mostly Republican candidates after the team’s crushing Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Brown replied with a thoughtful answer.

“I believe everybody has the choice to choose what they feel is best for them in their own specific situation,” answered the Georgia native.

“However, I do feel … as as athletes and the role we play in sports, to entertain, we do feel like we have more of a responsibility in our communities and our platforms. We’ve got to hold people accountable at the sense of organizations that we play for, and [that] we represent. They need to need to understand that members of our community’s and that our lives matter.”

“Our cousins or brothers our sisters, nieces, nephews — their lives matter too, to us,” he added.

Brown addressed the common “shut up and dribble” mentality some fans and pundits tend to fall back on when they hear a player pushing a political or ethical concern they don’t agree with.

“I know we’ve reached a certain level and everybody thinks you’re a millionaire; ‘What do you got to complain about? You NBA players should be grateful,'” he related. “Just because I escaped the barriers our society has put up, why should I forget about the people who won’t?”

“That’s where I stand,” Brown explained.

Just because the Celtics have left the bubble doesn’t mean that the nascent star plans on relaxing on social issues, either.

“As an athlete, I want to continue to use my platform,” he affirmed.

“If I wasn’t drafted by the Boston Celtics or I wasn’t a basketball player, a high level one that made it to college … I’m not sure what my situation [would have] turn[ed] out to be. There’s not a lot of opportunities for people to of color at the bottom of the bottom tier. People need to … understand that it’s a lack of care that has gone on in our society. It was honor to be able to play here, and try to play and shed light on some of those injustices, and I don’t know what the answers are, I just want to do my part.”

“But, I appreciate everybody who’s out there listening, heard me, and who agrees and wants to make change,” shared Brown.

Whatever your political orientations are, getting registered to vote, voting, and working the polls are all non-partisan approaches you can take if you’re among the people Brown cites as wanting change.

And while there are many other ways you can help change the world into a better place, it’s easily one of the best places to start.

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PHOTOS: Looking back on the Boston Celtics in the Disney restart bubble

Brad Stevens wants you to vote; ‘this election is really important’

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has no qualms about telling you that you should vote in this coming election.

One of the cornerstones of the NBA restart at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex has been the commitment to the pursuit of racial justice agreed to by the league and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), and a push to get players and fans alike registered to vote has been no small part of that commitment.

And the Celtics have played a big role in such initiatives, including incorporating such efforts into the “Boston Celtics United” project, a decade-long, $25 million plan to support a number of racial and social justice interventions.

Asked if he would be comfortable discussing his own interest in such initiatives to get people to the polls this fall, Boston head coach Brad Stevens opened up.

“I’m totally comfortable with that,” he began. “My wife was a political science studies person in college and from that point on, I’ve taken a great interest in politics.”

“Obviously, this election is really important, and it means a great deal to us. But also, I think that it’s really important to the guys [on the team]. And I think that encouraging everybody to use their voice to vote is really important, and so I’m glad that the NBA is taking that stand.”

I’m glad that the Coaches Association has pushed that, and I’m happy to be a part of lending my voice to that, if that can turn out so many more people, or one more person,” he noted, “and that’s really important.”

An understated man, Stevens is not prone to exaggeration — and we underscore Stevens point.

This election is really important.

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WATCH: for the Celtics, the fight continues no matter Game 5’s outcome

No matter the outcome of Game 5, the fight the Boston Celtics took up this summer will continue.

The Boston Celtics are on a mission bigger than basketball, and no matter how the game goes tonight, or when the season ends, that mission will continue unabated into the future.

The team has put it all on the line for a chance at a title, but also for a chance to extend and amplify their platform in service of a greater good.

That service is to ensure that Black Lives Matter, and that we arrive at equity socially as fast as we are able.

It’s to ensure that all the Breonna Taylors of our countries (we see you, Canada!) have a chance at justice, whether or not we ever hear their name.

But more than anything, they are committed to building a better world with the rest of us, and that struggle will continue as long as we fight with them.

There is so much to be proud of in this season, but the struggle still lies ahead. Steel yourself for the push across the finish line — not just today, this series or this playoffs, but in November on Election Day, and every day going forward.

Good luck tonight, Boston — we’ve got your back.

We know how much you have ours.

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No charges for Breonna Taylor’s killers deeply impacted Celtics, NBA

The Boston Celtics and wider NBA community was deeply affected by the news of no charges against Breonna Taylor’s killers.

While it might not be the reason the Boston Celtics lost Game 4 of their East Finals series against the Miami Heat Wednesday, it was evident the lack of charges brought against the police who killed Louisville, Kentucky EMT Breonna Taylor weighed heavily on the team.

Taylor was killed by police executing a “No-Knock” warrant in March of this year, and the Kentucky District Attorney Daniel Cameron announced he was not planning on pursuing charges against those police, sparking a renewed round of nationwide protests.

Speaking to the media after the game, the topic of the decision from A.D. Cameron was posed to Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.

“It’s tough, to be honest. I wasn’t surprised by the verdict. It’s tough,” Brown added, in emphasis.

“It’s hard to gather the words, but I wasn’t surprised. I think that this society, the way it was built and the way — the intention was to never serve people of color initially, so when they were gearing up for what was about to happen, I knew the wrong decisions is probably being made but it doesn’t surprise me. It doesn’t surprise me at all. Until we dismantle, recreate or change the system that we have, it is going to continue to have victims like Breonna Taylor and others that fall victim to oppression.”

“It was tough getting emotionally ready for a game but to be honest, I wasn’t surprised and we just fell short –that was it,” added the Georgia native.

Brown has taken an active role in protesting police violence against Black and minority citizens throughout the pandemic and subsequent NBA restart, even driving 15 hours to his hometown of Atlanta to protest after the police killing of George Floyd in May.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens also expressed confusion and displeasure with the decision not to press charges over Taylor’s shooting.

“I think just the idea of going into that apartment doesn’t make any sense, and to have 15 rounds of gunfire fired, five of which hit her,” he observed.

“[The police who fired the shots are to be charged with] “wanton endangerment”, which I didn’t even know existed before today for the charge,” he added, referring to the lesser charge one of the three officers will be charged with for the shots he fired that did not hit Taylor.

“I think it’s tough. At the end of the day, there’s been a call across the country — rightfully so — for more transparency, more accountability, and just a better community relationship. This feels like a setback to that. At the same time, I guess the other side is is you see a lot of cities, a lot of places, really taking steps that should have been taken a long time ago. But at least being taken now to make sure you know whether it’s meeting the initiatives of the “Eight Can’t Wait,” whether it’s committing to civilian review boards, whether it’s better transparency and data, whether it’s diversifying the police force even more to match that of the neighborhood, whatever the case may be.

“This doesn’t feel good today,” he added.

Noting that the team was largely dispersed when the news came down, Stevens related he had made himself available in case any of the players needed to speak to someone about the outcome.

He did not share whether anyone took him up on the offer.

While plenty of words were forthcoming from Stevens and his players both on the topic, one shared sentiment was the difficulty they were having absorbing the reality that, at least for now, there will be no justice for Breonna Taylor.

Former UConn standout and current All-Star starting point guard Kemba Walker was one such player.

“I can’t wrap my head around it, to be honest,” said  the New Yorker when asked about the D.A.’s call not to charge the officers.

“I’m kind of at a loss for words, to be honest with you. It’s a really sad situation. I just really feel bad for her and her family. They definitely deserve more; they deserve justice. And you know it didn’t happen. Which we as a people, we have to stand strong with them and support them as best as we can.”

“So, I wish the best for that family.”

As do we.

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Celts icon Bill Russell reacts to Justice RBG’s death, replacement push

Boston Celtics legendary center Bill Russell praised the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg after her passing, weighing in on the push to replace her.

Boston Celtics big man legend Bill Russell has never been one to shy from politics, and he continued with that trend Sunday morning as he weighed in on the death of and subsequent push to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg by some Republicans.

Justice Bader-Ginsburg — often called “RBG” by her supporters — developed a fervent following for her career as a defender of reproductive rights and civil liberties, and passed earlier this week after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Thank you for all you did for so many. Thank you for fighting, for being a trailblazer & for your brilliance. Thank you for your service. You were a giant,” wrote Russell in a tweet on Sunday, referring to her many years fighting for gender equality and women’s rights from the bench.

“Her ‘fervent’ last wish was that she ‘not be replaced until a new president is installed,'” he added, a nod to the gradually-building fight over how to proceed with filling her vacancy in an election year.

While Russell did not elaborate on his position, as a supporter of former President Barack Obama, it seems probable he expects the same response from Republicans as occurred when a vacancy in the Court opened in the final year of his term.

Whether the Republicans live up to the standard they called for in that instance happens this time around is another story altogether, and beyond the scope of this article.

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