How did your father’s mentorship impact your life and shape you into being an ally for minorities?
My dad was a towering figure in the country and having him in our home was an amazing thing. People come up to me all the time and say, “Your dad was a great coach,” or “He was a great player,” and I’d tell them he was even better as a dad because he really cared about so many social justice issues, and we talked about them growing up. Once I learned what he had gone through, and I shared parts of it [during my talk here] but not all of it, to stand up for racial issues in sports, I was deeply moved by it. That coupled with being with Kareem [Abdul Jabbar], and being able to see what’s really going on with racism in America through his eyes, I think were the two pivotal things that pushed me into the direction of civil rights.
With such a widespread impact on so many individuals, what would you consider your largest individual accomplishment?
I would guess that being able to be at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration with Mandela -- then spending time with him right afterwards. Being part of the movement that ended aparteid has to be the most meaningful because it affects millions of people.
What is your opinion of NFL free agent Colin Kapernick and his stance on kneeling for the National Anthem to protest police brutality and the NFL’s “black balling” of him?
I think he’s going to be historically viewed as one of the most important former athletes of his generation. I told my wife the day he took a knee for the first time that he’ll never play again because that’s the price athletes have to play. He opened the door for other athletes to stand up as well, and I have a great appreciation for he’s done so far. Nobody’s going to remember his football statistics, even though they were good, but everybody’s going to remember what he did as a contribution to giving a voice to athletes because they can be a very powerful voice; they’re wealthy, they’re almost all college educated. Acting together and being spurred by Colin Kapernick and Megan Rapinoe, for that matter, I consider her in the same category, is really, really important.
What is your advice to students when they see peers facing racism?
Well, my advice is to become a leader, and I define leader as somebody who stands up for justice and doesn’t block its path. So, to intervene. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way, but figure out a way to do it safely and stop the person that’s verbal. If you figure you can’t stop it, if it’s going beyond verbal, call the police or get some help-- but to some way be proactive.
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