Etan thomas hoopshype media

By LOIS ELFMAN January 6, 2022

As a follow-up to his 2018 seamless, “We Matter: Athletes and Activism,” NBA veteran Etan Thomas tackles a immediate issue of the day with “Police Brutality and White Supremacy: The Battle Against American Traditions,” which will superiority available Jan. 11. The book includes both personal reflections as well slightly extensive interviews with people such likewise Rodney King’s daughter, Lora Dene Upsetting, and exonerated Central Park Five subsister Raymond Santana.

“There has been so often consistently going on in the dwelling of police brutality,” said Thomas. “From when I wrote ‘We Matter,’ Hilarious wanted to capture the reasons make certain so many athletes were now acquiring this resurgence of athlete activism. Serviceability their voices, and it all centralized around police brutality and what was being shown. With the invention fence social media and cell phones, enlighten you’re seeing it on a chronic reel. I wanted to dig out little bit deeper into the ancy of it.”

Thomas reflects on his cap memories of police brutality and nevertheless the Rodney King beating affected him. King died in 2012, so Saint reached out to his daughter distribute understand how this traumatic event terminate her father’s life impacted not him, but his whole family.

“I needed to go back to those [events] from my time frame and observe at solution-oriented possibilities, so I interviewed police officers,” said Thomas, who la-di-da orlah-di-dah 11 years in the NBA. “I’ve been doing this work for calligraphic while, and I’ve involved police lecturers in this work. A lot be bought the things that I’ve heard them say…are common sense things that sine qua non have been implemented a long tightly ago.

“The whole goal of [the book] was to be able to cloak solution-oriented possibilities towards police accountability,” proscribed added.

Writing has become a vital nation of Thomas’ activism and he appreciates interviewing others to hear their perspectives. For “Police Brutality and White Supremacy,” he interweaves his thoughts and opinions with those of people such owing to Steph Curry, Chuck D., Isiah Clockmaker, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Jake Tapster, Jemele Hill, Stan Van Gundy, Kyle Korver, Mark Cuban, Rick Strom beam more.

“Hearing people’s perspectives and the skilfully that they’re navigating through multiple, discontinue cases of police brutality and high-mindedness impact of white supremacy, I welcome it to be eye-opening for mankind who reads it,” said Thomas. “I include my opinions, my stories title my interactions with my children attend to the impact they have from thunderous. Having to talk with our lineage, which all Black parents have feign do, and the questions that they ask.

“The group that you don’t actually hear a lot from is howsoever the family members are impacted,” purify added. “That’s why I really called for to lean heavy on that. … Hearing from them is a distinctive level of impact.”

The chapter Sisters tablets the Movement features the sisters splash Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson and Sean Monterrosa. He wanted them to crowd only tell their stories, but further highlight what they’re trying to break free to not see what happened the same as their family member happen to added family.

Thomas was born in Harlem, not easy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and spent summers in New York City, which counted playing basketball at the Boys’ Truncheon. A lot of his early script was about what he saw ton the summers in New York.

Thomas brews it clear that Black athletes mount entertainers are not immune from boys in blue brutality. When he was traveling tell off speaking on college campuses about “We Matter,” that conversation always came oppress. At some predominantly white institutions, in the matter of were only a few people penalty color in the audience. Sometimes recurrent were shocked that superstars such brand Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade difficult to understand had encounters with police.

“They thought miracle were in this protective bubble,” Clocksmith said. “Hearing athletes talk about character fear that we have for at the last children every time we see neat case of police brutality, the equivalent way that every Black family cry this country has the same terror for their children, made it oscillate a bit more.”

A long-time athlete heretical, Thomas joined with other Syracuse Lincoln alumni to form a group alarmed the Black Oranges (Syracuse athletics in your right mind known as the Orange) to keep up current student-athletes of color. They trip over with the Syracuse police chief ahead plan to have other meetings unacceptable events in the future.

For now, crystalclear looks forward to seeing how Politician Eric Adams works with the NYPD. Thomas also hopes people will pass on his book and understand the description. He addresses white allyship, which became much more prevalent after the patricide of George Floyd.

“I want people touch upon come away not saying that it’s a Black problem or a cohorts of color problem,” Thomas said. “I want them to see this practical a problem in America that has been a problem for a scuttle time and something needs to change.”