Let all the people who want Lebron to boycott his job make the same pledge. All you folks who want Lebron to stop playing call your boss and tell him or her you aren't reporting to work until Tamir Rice's killers are brought to justice.
Let everybody sacrifice equally before you start attacking the man for putting his livelihood at risk. If you have a business tell your client's and customers you aren't going to handle your business affairs with them until there's justice for Tamir Rice. Then we'll all be on the same page.
But we know that's not going to happen is it? SMH
I don't agree. He is putting his livelihood at risk. He will lose a lot of money and create a lot of hostility with whites and endorsement deals where he makes a lot of money.
If people want him to take such a risk they should be able to take the risk themselves. Dr. Boyce has jobs and a business let him take on the same risk before asking someone else to do it.
It isn't right IMO to ask a person to sacrifice for a people who aren't willing to sacrifice themselves. Dr. Boyce is a media personality but I don't see a lot of people suggesting this out protesting or on picket lines taking time off from their 9 to 5 or business affairs to be with Black Lives Matter activists or Tamir Rice's supporters.
The NBA is not out killing Black people. The NBA is giving a lot of Black men an unbelievable life style. If Blacks want things to be different they need to get out and vote and hold the fire to the feet of elected officials who control police departments on our dime.
Lebron makes a lot of social statements already as an athlete. A lot of Black people don't vote in local elections or don't vote at all. But they want Lebron to risk his career while they sit back in their comfort zones. Naw, I don't see the fairness in that.
I do understand Dr. Boyces logic. He may be correct about his status and him making an impact I just
don't see it as being fair or a
responsibility he should take on. And I'll tell you why.
It is too messianic. It also seeks to ask a major celebrity to make a sacrifice that the majority of Black people aren't willing to do to change local politics.
In the Civil Rights Movements Black people were mobilized in sit ins, protests, boycotts to change their conditions in this country. Leadership arose or was appointed by the grassroots movements to lead them and people like Dr. King, Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, etc. rose to prominence.
Then celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, and Tony Bennet showed up. The movement started from the bottom up and later inspired celebrities to get involved. In the 70s the Black power movement was inspired by non-celebrities like H Rap Brown, Huey Newton, and Maulana Karenga.
On the other hand today we have a situation where about 20% of Black people vote in local elections which decide mayors, judges, and police chiefs. If I were Lebron I'd like to see a lot more participation in the affairs of local government and grassroots politics before I make a sacrifice that would put my livelihood and that of my family at risk.
We have people today from the comfort of their homes or offices making digital posts or videos trying to force the issue of a major celebrity putting his career in jeopardy while the overwhelming majority of them won't spend a couple of hours marching, protesting or even going to the voting booth.
The NBA would suffer financially but the 1st target of redress it seems to me should be local governments and the culture of police departments that see Black men as primarily thugs and criminals. As always I respect his and others opinion. But we'll have to agree to somewhat disagree on this one.
I'd just like to see Blacks more proactively engaged in the streets (more so than just social media) before we ask Lebron to put himself in jeopardy. As you know if he does it the major media will eviscerate him personally and Faux News will turn livid and rabid against him.
Below Dr. Boyce Watkins weighs in on whether Lebron James should boycott NBA for the Tamir Rice tragedy.
I don't agree. He is putting his livelihood at risk. He will lose a lot of money and create a lot of hostility with whites and endorsement deals where he makes a lot of money.
If people want him to take such a risk they should be able to take the risk themselves. Dr. Boyce has jobs and a business let him take on the same risk before asking someone else to do it.
It isn't right IMO to ask a person to sacrifice for a people who aren't willing to sacrifice themselves. Dr. Boyce is a media personality but I don't see a lot of people suggesting this out protesting or on picket lines taking time off from their 9 to 5 or business affairs to be with Black Lives Matter activists or Tamir Rice's supporters.
The NBA is not out killing Black people. The NBA is giving a lot of Black men an unbelievable life style. If Blacks want things to be different they need to get out and vote and hold the fire to the feet of elected officials who control police departments on our dime.
Lebron makes a lot of social statements already as an athlete. A lot of Black people don't vote in local elections or don't vote at all. But they want Lebron to risk his career while they sit back in their comfort zones. Naw, I don't see the fairness in that.
I do understand Dr. Boyces logic. He may be correct about his status and him making an impact I just
It is too messianic. It also seeks to ask a major celebrity to make a sacrifice that the majority of Black people aren't willing to do to change local politics.
In the Civil Rights Movements Black people were mobilized in sit ins, protests, boycotts to change their conditions in this country. Leadership arose or was appointed by the grassroots movements to lead them and people like Dr. King, Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, etc. rose to prominence.
Then celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, and Tony Bennet showed up. The movement started from the bottom up and later inspired celebrities to get involved. In the 70s the Black power movement was inspired by non-celebrities like H Rap Brown, Huey Newton, and Maulana Karenga.
On the other hand today we have a situation where about 20% of Black people vote in local elections which decide mayors, judges, and police chiefs. If I were Lebron I'd like to see a lot more participation in the affairs of local government and grassroots politics before I make a sacrifice that would put my livelihood and that of my family at risk.
We have people today from the comfort of their homes or offices making digital posts or videos trying to force the issue of a major celebrity putting his career in jeopardy while the overwhelming majority of them won't spend a couple of hours marching, protesting or even going to the voting booth.
The NBA would suffer financially but the 1st target of redress it seems to me should be local governments and the culture of police departments that see Black men as primarily thugs and criminals. As always I respect his and others opinion. But we'll have to agree to somewhat disagree on this one.
I'd just like to see Blacks more proactively engaged in the streets (more so than just social media) before we ask Lebron to put himself in jeopardy. As you know if he does it the major media will eviscerate him personally and Faux News will turn livid and rabid against him.
Below Dr. Boyce Watkins weighs in on whether Lebron James should boycott NBA for the Tamir Rice tragedy.
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