Whoaaa! Pump the brakes! Just as we were to hit the presses, word came down from Mount Olympus. In a statement issued to the website TheUndefeated.com comes a statement from Michael Jordan:
“As 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 hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers. I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well.
“I have decided to speak out in the hope that we can come together as Americans, and through peaceful dialogue and education, achieve constructive change.
“To support that effort, I am making contributions of $1 million each to two organizations, the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s newly established Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Institute for Community-Police Relations’ policy and oversight work is focused on building trust and promoting best practices in community policing. My donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s oldest civil rights law organization, will support its ongoing work in support of reforms that will build trust and respect between communities and law enforcement. Although I know these contributions alone are not enough to solve the problem, I hope the resources will help both organizations make a positive difference.
“We are privileged to live in the world’s greatest country—a country that has provided my family and me the greatest of opportunities. The problems we face didn’t happen overnight and they won’t be solved tomorrow, but if we all work together, we can foster greater understanding, positive change and create a more peaceful world for ourselves, our children, our families and our communities.”
The fact that his words have caused a minor furor is unfortunate. It’s not the words that he said, but that he said anything is what the focus is on. Jordan, whether warranted or not, has been viewed as the poster child for apathy regarding anything remotely considered substantive.
Jim Brown, Hall of Fame Football Player, accomplished actor and, while his prime in both arenas, an outspoken activist, in 2009 said about Jordan and Tiger Woods, “There are one or two individuals in this country that are Black that have been put in front of us as an example, but they’re basically under a system that says, ‘Hey, they’re not going to do certain things.’ Yes, that disappoints me because I know they both know better. They both can do better without hurting themselves.”
After reading Jordan’s statement, Brown softened his stance. A critic offered, “All I can do is praise him and thank him for reaching out and using his tremendous people power in a way that I feel will make a difference in this country.”
For the most part, everyone has been supportive of the responses, and that’s why we had to hit the block. There the narrative is a little different. The feeling of caution is in the air. Why now? This person isn’t the dominant athlete in the midst of one of two three-pete championship reigns, during the span from 1990 to 2000. At that time, everyone wanted to be like Mike. You couldn’t get away from the dude, thanks to lucrative endorsement deals with Hanes, Wheaties, Coca-Cola and McDonalds and the omnipresent Jump-man logo. With that kind of influence and exposure, think of the impact a similar statement could have made then. Blacks were dying at the hands of police then as well.
Should the motive be questioned or should the help be welcomed? Time will tell. As a suggestion, maybe we need to take the advice of the greatest of the great before casting aspersions. Muhammad Ali said, “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his.” Will being a billionaire be Jordan’s sole legacy? Now the game begins.
I’m out. Holla next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.