Black Athletes and Social Activism

Football legend Jim Brown is real deep.

From Los Angeles Times:

The way Brown sees it, many of today’s athletes are simply in it for the money and celebrity, refusing to accept responsibility for having a huge impact on the culture around them. And he’s not afraid of naming names. “Athletes need to represent more than that just getting a big contract and lots of endorsements,” he says. “Take Michael Jordan. To me, he’s full of bull. He’s hiding his true self. All he cares about is getting ahead, being popular and enjoying the wealth of this country. Same with Kobe Bryant. For them, it’s all about making money and doing all the commercials.” Brown expects more from today’s athletes. After all, he walked the walk. When Muhammad Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title and threatened with jail time for refusing to register for the draft during the Vietnam War, it was Brown and Boston Celtics star Bill Russell who led a contingent of black athletes who offered Ali their support. “Sports is detrimental to the development of culture if all you’re willing to do is enjoy the fruits of this country,” he says. “You’ve got to reinvest in the culture, not just exploit it. Today people just want non-combative heroes, who smile and say all the right things. That’s fine, but that doesn’t mean you have to play the fool and shake your butt just because you caught a pass for a touchdown.”

Of course, I have been saying this for a while, but hearing it from a sports giant and activist really sets the tone.