LeBron James is among the most outspoken professional athletes of this or any other era. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s social and political activism is inspired by his desire to raise up all people, regardless of race, color or creed, as he relayed in a recent interview with Jason Kelly of Bloomberg.
“I speak about things that I’m knowledgeable about, that I’m educated on,” James said. “And at the end of the day, right is right, and wrong is wrong. I want the betterment of people — no matter skin color, no matter race, no matter anything.”
James’ advocacy for social change and longtime activism have made him a target of critics who don’t share his attitudes and worldview regarding systemic racism, police misconduct and social injustice. That being said, the Lakers star’s passion for such issues has inspired many of his NBA peers to take notice and follow his lead.
James has been especially forthright and extremely vocal of late in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. He has frequently taken to social media to provocatively share his outrage and unhappiness amid the ongoing social unrest.
Along with other prominent athletes and entertainers, James launched More Than A Vote this week, an organization which aspires to combat “systemic, racist voter suppression by educating, energizing, and protecting our community in 2020.”
James has never shied away from weighing in on complex issues such as systemic racism and other matters related to social injustice. The NBA icon clearly intends to do so for what he views as the greater good for all people, aspirations that will be accomplished through his activism, community outreach and acts of charity.
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