Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2016 18:58:38 GMT -4
NBA superstars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James opened the ESPYS last night with a call for social justice and change.
While gracing the stage at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, they urged their fellow athletes to challenge one another to do even more than what they already do in their communities.
“Tonight is a celebration of sports, celebrating our accomplishments and our victories,” said Carmelo. “But in this moment of celebration, we asked to start the show tonight this way — the four of us talking to our fellow athletes with the country watching. Because we cannot ignore the realities of the current state of America. The events of the past week have put a spotlight on the injustice, distrust, and anger that plague so many of us. The system is broken.”
The message comes on the heels of fatal police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota – as well as police officers being fatally shot and injured in Dallas.
“We stand here tonight accepting our role in uniting communities to be the change we need to see,” Chris said as he picked up after Carmelo. “We stand before you as fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, uncles, and in my case, as an African-American man and the nephew of a police officer, who is one of the hundreds of thousands of great officers serving this country. But Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile — this is also our reality.”
“The racial profiling has to stop,” added Dwyane. “The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop. But also the retaliation has to stop. The endless gun violence in places like Chicago, Dallas, not to mention Orlando — it has to stop. Enough! Enough is enough.”
LeBron closed out their speech, referencing Muhammad Ali – who was honored at the show – and giving a call to action to other athletes to use their influence to renounce the violence and invest their time and resources in their old communities.
“We all feel helpless and frustrated by the violence. We do. But that’s not acceptable,” said LeBron. “It’s time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing to create change?’ It’s not about being a role model. It’s not about our responsibility to the tradition of activism.”
He continued: “I know tonight, we’ll honor Muhammad Ali, the G.O.A.T. But to do his legacy any justice, let’s use this moment as a call to action for all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence, and renounce all violence — and most importantly, go back to our communities, invest our time, our resources, help rebuild them, help strengthen them, help change them. We all have to do better. Thank you.”
