Silence is Violence

In the wake of the recent killings of unarmed black men and police officers, Michael Jordan released this statement:

“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.”

Jordan also announced that he will donate $1 million to two organizations, the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s newly established Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

While many praised Jordan for breaking his silence, he also received backlash.

Although $2 million is only pocket change, compared to Jordan’s $1 billion net worth….the donations are a start.

The pressure is always on black athletes to speak out, but what about white athletes? What if athletes like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and other celebrated white athletes, stood up against the injustices of minorities?

Martin Luther King Jr. said it best — “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King Jr.

WNBA players wear shirts remembering the late Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and police officers.

All lives truly won’t matter until all lives really do matter, and everyone speaks up for injustices against marginalized populations.

#BlackLivesMatter #MichaelJordan #WNBA