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Staying silent is too comfortable and easy. The “stick to sports” crowd can move along. My heart is far too broken for our country to just hide and watch while I stay silent. I have too many people I love that are scared of the system. I’m scared for them.
Black Lives Matter.
I used to be one of the people that said, “but all lives matter.” Over the years, it’s become clear that “all lives” can’t really exist without “black lives”. I support my brothers & sisters from the black community. I support all that protest for equality.
I used to be one of the people that said, “but all lives matter.” Over the years, it’s become clear that “all lives” can’t really exist without “black lives”. I support my brothers & sisters from the black community. I support all that protest for equality.
We can’t continually have white people claim “there’s no racism” or “I have black friends”. Listen, we are not even a LIFETIME removed from minorities being murdered & hanged for public display. Stop acting like all minorities should just move on like there’s not still a problem.
There is issue that afflicts our minority communities. Cities long ago were designed to have rich people here & poor people over there (white vs. black). Those communities continue on those trends. “That part of town” every whites person warns you to avoid. We put them there.
If you have never spent time with a minority on a daily basis, but still get online and bark that there’s no problem and everyone has a fair shot, you’re just an imbecile. The system over time has put minorities in the back of the line when they start their lives.
Just the simple act of trying to pretend you “understand there’s some issues” and moving on is not the answer. There’s a serious lack of positive male role models in minority communities. There’s many great ones. There’s not enough, though. That’s A HUGE REASON to why I coach.
I fully support the many great police officers in our country. I despise the bad ones. Like any profession, some are great & some stink. Supporting #BLM doesn’t mean you don’t support police. However, the police, like any FAMILY, have to hold each other accountable too.
But I was coaching @IAmBWall_60 & @armonwatts in 2014 and I saw the fear in their eyes after what happened in Ferguson. That changed me. I was in Baton Rouge when Alton Sterling was killed. Those players’ pain tore me apart.
It ALSO rips me apart to see our infrastructure destroyed in many cities. The media will focus on the property being destroyed and sadly, I fear the many fighting in peace, will go unheard once again. But I will never stop doing my part. My duty is to build young men.
The FAMILY is the foundation of our country. So many of our issues in society stem from broken family systems. Honestly, the first thought that went through my head after seeing George Floyd murdered was “there’s going to be another young black kid without a father.” Hurts bad.
The folks that want this separated from sports...sorry but sports in America & black culture are one. You can’t just want the boys to “shut up and play”. College football & basketball drive our “fandom” & the majority of these athletes are young black men. Do you care about them?
Have you ever cared about where they come from? Have you cared that they send half their stipend money to their families to help w/ bills? Do you care that they’re scared of getting unfairly treated? These young men put everything on the line..b/c frankly, they have no choice.
I’m half Cuban, but certainly white. No one has ever followed me around a store. No police has ever treated me in unfairly. I’ve had both parents back me until this day. I never worried about a meal. Never worried about the lights staying on. Never scared of being discriminated.
“I don’t see color” is fake. I SEE COLOR. I love it. I love being able to learn and experience different cultures from Miami to KC. NOLA, ATL, Ark, TX, Cali, MO, SLC, HI. All these places are so different, and I see the color and differences. I appreciate them. They’ve shaped me.
I pray for our country. I pray more white men will do more to empower our communities of color. Find a way. Sitting back & just saying “there isn’t a problem” has gotten us to this point. We’ve come a long way. We still have a long way to go.That’s all I have to say about that.
