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Sources close to the production say West doubled down on his recent anti-Semitic remarks during the episode. Other guests included shoe designer Salehe Bembury and Jeezy, whom West collaborated with on 2008’s Grammy-nominated record “Put On.” LeBron James was not present at the taping. The pulled episode of The Shop is just another incident in a string of bizarre media moments for West in the last week. During his recent runway show at Paris Fashion Week, West’s decision to debut shirts with the phrase “White Lives Matter” drew immediate criticism. Sherrilyn Ifill, the former president and director-counsel of the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund, called West’s rhetoric “dangerous.”
In the two-page letter given first to ABC News, the NAACP took jabs at state lawmakers, calling the state "a blueprint by legislators to violate constitutional rights for all, especially for women, children and marginalized communities." The NAACP noted the state's controversial laws on abortion, voting rights and coronavirus mask mandates as reasons for free agents not to sign with Texas teams.
There are nine Texas teams playing the leagues mentioned by the NAACP: the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets; the NHL's Dallas Stars; the WNBA's Dallas Wings; MLB's Texas Rangers and Houston Astros; and the NFL's Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys.
LeBron James received the President’s Award for his public service achievements. He thanked the NAACP for recognizing his efforts beyond the basketball court. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was recognized for his efforts through his LeBron James Family Foundation and his I PROMISE School, a co-curricular educational initiative. Last year, he launched More Than a Vote — a coalition of Black athletes and artists — that is dedicated to educating and protecting Black voters.
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Stephen Curry will pick up yet another award next week, this one for his outstanding work off the court. The Warriors star will receive the NAACP’s Jackie Robinson Sports Award in recognition of his continued support for social justice, women’s causes, youth initiatives and his efforts to raise awareness about the pandemic.
The NBA is teaming up with the voting rights organization started by LeBron James to target voter suppression during the league’s All-Star Game weekend in Atlanta amid a brutal political fight in the state Legislature over sweeping measures that would restrict ballot access. More Than A Vote, the group launched by James, said Tuesday that it was partnering with the NBA, the NBA Players Association and the state chapter of the NAACP to draw attention to attempts in Georgia and other battleground states to roll back voting rights.
Georgia House Bill 531 is making waves and now the NBA and a voter rights organization founded by LeBron James, “More Than A Vote”, are getting involved, brining attention to the controversial measure. With lots of attention on Atlanta because the NBA All-Star game is being hosted in the city this weekend, these groups see as an opportunity to get their message out. Georgia’s NAACP chapter is also partnering with them too.
Throughout 2020, two former NBA players, Rasheed Wallace and Stephen Jackson, have used their station and platforms to enhance the struggle for social justice. They will bring that activism to Memphis on Saturday, Dec. 13. Wallace and Jackson — a longtime friend of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a now-former Minneapolis police office in May — are scheduled to hold an event this coming weekend at the NAACP Memphis branch on Vance Avenue, according to Van Turner, NAACP Memphis president and a Shelby County Commissioner.
Three civil rights groups in Kansas City are cautioning the NBA against considering KC as a temporary home for the Toronto Raptors for the upcoming season. The Urban league of Greater Kansas City, Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City and the Kansas City, Missouri chapter of the NAACP wrote a letter to the NBA commissioner.
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The NBA's top corporate sponsors have donated $3.3 million over the last two years to support the reelection of members of Congress who received an "F" rating by the NAACP, the nation's largest civil rights organization. NBA sponsors, including Google, AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, State Farm, and American Express, enhance their corporate image and profile through their association with NBA players. Their logos are emblazoned on uniforms and displayed on the court. Their commercials are aired during breaks in play. But their political giving is out of step with a league that, since the resumption of play in Orlando, has aggressively embraced racial justice.
While approved protests — such as kneeling — could easily be misconstrued, Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney who has handled several high-profile cases, from Martin to Floyd, believes the influence of subliminal messaging over the next three months — such as the Black Lives Matter signage on the court and on T-shirts — cannot be overstated. “Symbols and images matter,” Crump said in a telephone interview with The Athletic. “There is a reason the NAACP has the Image Awards, because as the psychologists say, ‘Once you observe an image, even if it’s just for a few seconds, it literally left an indelible mark on your brain, on your subconscious.’ For every NBA fan to have to see that image every game really helps put in their subconscious mind, Black Lives Matter.”
Why do you think the response from the world and white America is different now? Monty Williams: I think there’s a young generation that’s willing to step up and say, ‘Man, that’s wrong.’ Whereas before, generations may have been a bit more hesitant because they may have worried about their job or their place in society, whatever the case may be. It’s beautiful to watch. All ethnicities, men and women, standing together and willing to say this is messed up. I don’t know if we had that when I was growing up. We always had a movement, whether it be the NAACP or it was a section. You know what I’m saying? I don’t think it was this broad across our nation.
Does that summer feel at all connected to you to this summer, Trump and all that? Chris Bosh: There’s things that in America people haven’t talked about. Being frank: The country was founded on slavery. That’s a known fact that can not be escaped. Of course there are going to be underlying tones in a society, of oppression, and racism. It’s naturally built in. And for women too. Women were not in the room when they were writing the Constitution. That all has to be thought about while we’re working into these things. I’m from Dallas. I have family in Alabama, Mississippi with rich history with NAACP and being involved in the cause. Black history was HUGE in my family. Knowing these things was super important. I’ve been aware. But I’m still learning. Lets’ just come out and admit it. Let’s not act like it’s not there. Confederate flag is heritage? That’s fine, ok. But you can go all over the world: the second-place statues, the flags, they eradicate it.
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