David Robinson has talked about how he got a school up and running, and he has advised people interested in social change to try to slow down in their efforts. The problem with slowing down is that people do not often have time to slow down and suffer the oppression that they are facing. They want to see immediate change because immediate change is the only acceptable sort of change. We are not talking about being patient for a basketball team to get its offense together. We are talking about life and death situations that need to change as soon as possible.
The anthem protest cannot slow down
If anyone in the NBA kneels or locks arms for the national anthem, they are not able to take that back or slow down their statement. You cannot kneel halfway so that people will be comfortable with the way that you are taking a knee. Surely, Robinson does not mean that you have to make people feel comfortable as you ask for change, but he does mean that some change happens slowly. In that sense, he is right. White America will not change its mind about social justice because someone took a knee during the national anthem, but it is a start that could bring about slow change.
Doing their part
Players in all professional sports do a very good job of making sure that they do work in the community that helps others.
These men often start their own charities, and the same can be said for the women of leagues like the WNBA. That is very important because change is brought about on a local level by people who put their own money and time behind a cause. The cause is often localized because the people of that town need to get services in a certain way, but they can see the change that happens slowly.
The NBA is the best place to change
Young kids of color often watch basketball more than they watch any other sport, and they are very tuned in to what their favorite players are doing. it is easy for these kids to learn about social justice from their favorite players, and these kids are often white. We do not know the affiliations of their parents, but we know that the young white kids who see their favorite players stand up for social justice will start to think about it for the first time.
They might start to talk to their parents about social justice, and this could bring about, even more, change that you did not see coming.
David Robinson is right that it takes time to make a difference, but the urgency of players who believe in social justice has made the NBA a haven for change.
