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Hey, PushBlack family! Derek Jeter’s birthday has us thinking about sports and race. The NBA may be less popular than the MLB and NFL, but its athletes have had a much louder voice in speaking out against social injustices.

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Hey, PushBlack family! Derek Jeter’s birthday has us thinking about sports and race. The NBA may be less popular than the MLB and NFL, but its athletes are stronger in speaking out against social injustices. Though they have similar demographics to NFL players, NBA players have more power in going up against corporate policy and standing up for themselves and the communities they represent. Mainstream audiences and writers would prefer players to stay in their lane. Players, however, have refused to do so and instead are continuing a longstanding tradition of unapologetically advocating for black lives. This tradition will continue to exist because without players like Lebron, DWade, DRose, and Carmelo, there is no NBA.

This Week in History

“[being called racial slurs] taught me a lot. It taught me how I didn’t want to be, that I needed to learn about different people as opposed to just judging them.“

- Derek Jeter

From attorney to Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, Michele Roberts is changing the game.

Michele Roberts is keeping the National Basketball Players Association in the game. After giving in to team owners during the 2011 Lockout, it seemed as if the the owners had demonstrated their power over the players. Yet, Roberts, an all-star trial lawyer, wasn't scared at all. She decided to bring a fight to the NBA through collective bargaining. She has already stood up to the NBA, calling the league's draft age limit racist and has further committed herself to ensuring that the players will come out on top when the current collective bargaining agreement is revisited in 2017.

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From Freddie Gray to Carmelo Anthony, we know there's a two-way street home.

Black NBA stars have always been agents of social change; however, it has been awhile since we have seen a generation of athletes this outspoken. Maybe it’s the power of social media where one tweet or instagram post reaches millions of fans in a matter of minutes. When it comes to their voice, NBA players have been the loudest. Despite sharing a similar makeup to the NFL, the NBA has become a league full of superheroes who are unapologetically black.

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Take Action in Response to the Charleston Shooting

Song of the Day

They're playing basketball
We love that basketball
They're playing basketball
We love that basketball

- Kurtis Blow
Basketball


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Curated by PushBlack family members:

Kassim Alani @ArICEstotle_6
Brandon Wright @getonmylevel55
Aaron West @ayyy_west
The Special Ones @TheSpecial1s

Check out The Special Ones' podcast
on the Charleston AME shooting.