The Miami Heat players, including their stars Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James, were shown wearing hoodies in a now-famous photo posted on social media in support of Martin. Yet Bryant remained silent. So now black folks are angry at him – and rightfully so. One civil rights activist, Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E., is calling for a boycott of Bryant’s NBA merchandise.
“African-American youth should no longer buy Bryant’s jerseys or shoes and should boycott all products he endorses,” Ali said in a statement. “Bryant doesn’t identify with the struggle that our African-American youth face nationally. So why should we continue to support Bryant who has never truly identified with the African-American experience.”
Bryant doesn’t fully identify with the black experience, but we’ve known this for years. Perhaps we’re taking Bryant too seriously. After all, he’s a professional basketball player, not an African-American scholar. Maybe Bryant just needs to talk about basketball – and perhaps we should let him.
What do you think?
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Is Kobe Bryant Really That Clueless About The Black Male Experience? was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
