Etan Thomas, a former Syracuse University basketball player, spoke about his new book at Hendricks Chapel on Monday and athletes voicing their opinions on social issues in the United States.

As the first speaker of the Spring 2018 Tanner Lecture series, Thomas talked with Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, about the backlash he said he thinks many athletes, including Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James, have recently received for speaking out about issues such as police brutality.

His book, “We Matter: Athletes and Activism,” features more than 50 interviews with athletes, coaches, executives and families of victims of police brutality.

“I wanted to do something special for the athletes of the future … to see the amount of courage it takes for them to stand up for what they believe in,” Thomas said.

Thomas, played for SU from 1996 to 2000, played in the NBA for 11 years. He has also participated as an activist and has published four books about social and political issues surrounding athletes.

“His books have heightened awareness about issues of social justice equality, advocacy and mental health,” said David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. “No Tanner Lecture speaker to date has done more to leverage their visibility and publicly encourage many on America’s most pressing issues.”

In his latest book, Thomas interviews well-known athletes who took public stances on controversial issues in the U.S. He spoke with NBA guard Dwyane Wade. Wade’s Miami Heat teammates wore hoodies in honor of Trayvon Martin in March 2012.

Thomas also spoke to Carmelo Anthony, who marched in Baltimore to protest the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015. Anthony led Syracuse men’s basketball to a championship in 2003.

The Tanner Lecture speaker also said he met with families of the victims of police brutality, including the mother of Trayvon Martin and the sister of Eric Garner. Garner was killed in 2014 on Staten Island after a police officer put him in a chokehold.

Thomas’ book also detailed how, after the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, the entire Women’s National Basketball Association wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts during warmups.

After those games, WNBA players and coaches refused to answer any media questions, unless they were about societal issues and police brutality, Thomas said.

The former SU basketball player said he was first introduced to sports activism by his mother at a young age. Thomas, during his speech, added that he hopes to continue the legacies of Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John Carlos.

Russell, who played for the Boston Celtics during 11 NBA championship runs, participated in the 1963 March on Washington.

Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time NBA champion, has frequently written about politics. Carlos is a former Olympics athlete who participated in 1968 Black Power protest salute.

Thomas said athletes have both the power and responsibility to stand up and bring important issues to the forefront of conversations.

“If you use your position to speak out about something, make sure you can back it up,” Thomas said. “When you do speak out about something, you have people who will try to discredit you, and you have to be able to defend your position.”

The longtime NBA player invited his 12-year-old son, Malcolm, onto the stage to recite a poem he wrote about Kaepernick. Malcolm voiced concerns about the NFL’s treatment of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who has been criticized for kneeling during the National Anthem.

“If they continue to blackball Kaepernick from the NFL, we need to not just whisper, not just threaten, but actually boycott,” Malcolm said.

After the moderated discussion with Reeher, Thomas answered questions from the crowd. When asked to define his view of racism in American society, he said there is an evident gap in educational achievement in high schools throughout the U.S., among other things.

“Young people standing up for what they believe gives me hope for the future,” Thomas said.  “Every movement that has happened in the past has been ignited by young people, and it’s great to see that continuously happening.”

Published on February 26, 2018 at 11:19 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo