Michael Jordan I Can No Longer Stay Silent
Michael Jordan: 'I tin can no longer stay silent' on police shootings
This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Delight await at the time stamp on the story to run into when it was last updated.
"I can no longer stay silent."
And so says Michael Jordan, widely considered the best NBA histrion of all time but someone who has refrained from using his glory to take a public stand on social problems.
Hashemite kingdom of jordan, who owns the Charlotte Hornets, published a one-page letter on The Undefeated, a new ESPN platform dedicated to exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture. In that letter of the alphabet, posted Monday, Jordan said that he would be donating $1 million each to the International Clan of Chiefs of Police'south newly established Establish for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
You lot can read Jordan's unabridged statement online at The Undefeated.
The Hall of Famer also sheds calorie-free on violence from a personal perspective. Jordan's begetter, James Jordan, was gunned down by two robbers in 1993.
"Every bit a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the easily of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of law officers," Jordan wrote. "I grieve with the families who take lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well.
"I was raised by parents who taught me to love and respect people regardless of their race or background, so I am saddened and frustrated by the divisive rhetoric and racial tensions that seem to be getting worse as of late. I know this country is ameliorate than that, and I tin can no longer stay silent. Nosotros need to find solutions that ensure people of colour receive fair and equal treatment AND that constabulary officers — who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all — are respected and supported."
Hashemite kingdom of jordan'south letter of the alphabet comes two and a half weeks after an Ground forces veteran shot and killed five constabulary officers in Dallas, saying he was angry over constabulary shootings of black men.
Jordan also wrote that while he has the "greatest respect" for the sacrifice and service of people in police enforcement, he recognizes that his experiences with law enforcement are unlike for him than for many other people of color.
"I have decided to speak out in the promise that we tin can come together as Americans, and through peaceful dialogue and education, achieve constructive change," he said.
As a star player with lucrative endorsement deals, Jordan wasn't known for taking a stand on problems, prompting NBA icon and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to say in an NPR interview in November that Jordan "took commerce over conscience."
But that appears to have inverse in contempo months.
Prior to his letter, Jordan spoke out on North Carolina's controversial bathroom nib in his efforts to keep the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte.
"As my organization has stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any course, and nosotros have ever sought to provide an inclusive environment," Hashemite kingdom of jordan said in a statement to the Charlotte Observer in April.
The 2022 All-Star Game ultimately was moved from Charlotte and will be played at a yet-to-be-determined location.
Jordan also issued a stiff statement in April 2022 near former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned for life by NBA Commissioner Adam Argent afterward making racist remarks to his then-girlfriend almost not wanting her to bring blackness people to games.
"I wait at this from two perspectives — as a current owner and a onetime histrion," Jordan said so. "As an owner, I'm obviously disgusted that a boyfriend squad possessor could hold such sickening and offensive views. … As a onetime actor, I'm completely outraged. There is no room in the NBA — or anywhere else — for the kind of racism and hatred that Mr. Sterling allegedly expressed.
"I am appalled that this type of ignorance still exists within our country and at the highest levels of our sport. In a league where the bulk of players are African-American, we cannot and must not tolerate discrimination at any level."
Suggest a Correction
Source: https://fox5sandiego.com/news/michael-jordan-i-can-no-longer-stay-silent-on-police-shootings/
0 Response to "Michael Jordan I Can No Longer Stay Silent"
Post a Comment