About 15 years ago, Dikembe Mutombo, the Congolese NBA star always wiser than his years, wanted to show his brethren in the league, most of whom had at least ancestral roots in Africa, what the continent was all about and what it needed. He wanted them to see his home country, the Congo, and particularly the newly liberated South Africa.Mutombo managed to entice his college alums, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning, and only a handful of other players to make the trip. NBA commissioner David Stern accompanied them.
Nine years later in 2003, Mutombo's vision and toil turned into the NBA's Basketball Without Borders. Dozens of players since have traveled all over the developing world every offseason using basketball to address all sorts of ills, from poor physical fitness to illiteracy.
Tuesday, Mutombo was in the throng here in the nation's capital to further soak up our new president's message, "Yes, we can." He wasn't the only well-known athlete somewhere on the Mall. Celtics' guard Ray Allen attended with team owner Steve Pagliuca. Free agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins was there.
Mutombo just happened to be one of the few athletes in attendance, or watching on from afar, who had been living up to President Obama's vision long before it was even revealed.
The question after the Obama euphoria subsides is what the others who make their living like Mutombo will do to honor this president they claimed to be so moved by. Actually, it is a question for any among us – 69 million-plus – who so enthusiastically put Obama in the Oval Office. As my man Dave Zirin likes to say, "I wouldn't ask anything of anyone else that I wouldn't ask of myself."
It had been quite some time before Mutombo organized NBA players to do something so collectively for others, however, that the sports world had witnessed something like that. Way back in 1965, a group of black NFL players, led by the great running back Jim Brown and Washington guard John Wooten, started a non-profit organization called the Negro Industrial and Economic Union. It managed to snare a half-million dollar grant from the Ford Foundation and another half-million dollars from the Commerce Department and went about helping finance new companies in half a dozen cities across the country.
"Using such aid, former Barber Dennis Taylor, 29, has built his year-and-a-half-old Magnificent Natural Products Inc., a Los Angeles cosmetics manufacturer, into a thriving concern that expects to gross at least $500,000 this year," Time magazine reported in October 1968 in a story about urban entrepreneurship helping rebuild riot-torn cities.
Since then, we've heard about individual efforts, like the oft-criticized Stephon Marbury's effort to raise funds for Katrina victims, or Phillies' All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins opening the J-Roll MVP Computer Lab for kids at a school in an at-risk community in Philadelphia. Tiger Woods started the Tiger Woods Learning Center in 2006 in Anaheim, Calif., to bolster kids' education in core school curriculum like math, science and language arts.
But what will athletes band together to do now?
For example, NFL players soon will be choosing a new executive director to replace the late Gene Upshaw. Will the players demand that the new union boss, as well as the league's owners, set aside more money for long-ago retired players, many of whom suffer from debilitating injuries and recently successfully sued the union for not including them in lucrative marketing deals with video game makers and other commercial sponsors that used their likenesses?
Will boxers pin to the wall Don King, who was seen at Tuesday's shaking an American flag and sporting a jacket adorned with his favorite phrase "Only in America," on joining with other promoters to create some sort of health-and-well-being fund for retired and injured fighters?
Will players in college, who wield so much untapped power they can't imagine, start demanding that their university athletic departments be as open to people of color and women in executive positions as they are to athletes of color on the field? Is it not time that they stop in masse signing letters of intent to play football at schools in the SEC that continue to struggle to embrace the message of inclusiveness being vocalized and acted upon by our new president? Who would dare argue against them in this climate of Cumbaya that so many people their age made possible?
Who would argue with any group of athletes right now who picked up President Obama's message and ran with it? After all, they can, as Mutombo showed long ago.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Didn't Jim Brown finance Logan Killicks's mortuary in Their Eyes Were Watching God? Just kidding, but I think Killicks was Janie's first husband - chosen by her grandmother, no less - who represented Booker T. Washington's strategy of empowering a petit bourgeois entrepreneurial class, and she jettisoned him. So I suspect that our superstar athletes might want to find a hipper conceptual framework than Brown's if they want to optimize their effectiveness.
I consider "When Harry Met Sally" one of the great romantic comedies of New York City, so I really don't need a sequel called "When Bill Rhoden's Jim Crow Nostalgia Met Dave Zirin's Black Power Nostalgia," because it reeks of the kind of self-promotion and image-manipulation politics that would make Phineas Barnum and the Wizard both blush. Rofl!
I do admire Mr. Mutombo's work on behalf of health care in the Democratic Republic of Congo, however, I don't expect him to transform the DRC's corrupt mining industry into stewards of the earth who forswear their rape of the environment as immoral and short-sighted and dedicate themselves to living in harmony with nature.
Why did we say that athletes have to do something, again?
Man, next time,
speak English. It's too much work to decipher all
these runons.
For Blackistone, among others, "too much is never
enough" and this article is an example. When he
writes of "athletes" who have done something meaningful it is black athletes. Basically, it is
a racial column so why not entitle it "Time for Black Athletes...."
I am so happy to see people posting here who are fed up with affirmative action columns and black voice columns. I have always found that it is the democratic party and people of minority that choose to look at themselves as a differentiated group, seperate from those evil white Americans, that are somehow owed something from the rest of society. Black people make up about 10-15% of the population yet they make up nearly 80% of the atheletes in the league. I want to see an equal porportionment of white atheletes in the league. I assume they would spend their millions in a more wiser and responsible way instead of their flashing green all over MTV Cribs along with their "bitches." America is no longer racist, that is a myth. I want to stop reading about what a black American needs to do and I want to hear more about what Americans should do. Get over yourself Blackistone. And get over the color of your skin.
I applaud the good works of professional athletes, but let us remember a few things.
One, they do have more time on their hands then the average person working a 40 to 60+ hour-a-week job with maybe two weeks paid vacation. So, relatively speaking, do they really give more than the average person who does charity work?
Two, they do make quite a bit more money than us mortals. Better to analyze what percentage of their salary they gave then the amount they raised from others, either from us or from businesses (who only pass that cost on to us in the price of their product or service). Then compare that percentage to the percentage the average person gives. In other words, a person who makes $20T giving $100 gives more relatively speaking then someone who makes $20M and gives $90,000.
Three, it is amazing how Mr. Blackistone will make an affirmative-action type comment about the number of black coaches yet somehow miss the affirmative-action fact that blacks are over represented as players. Why is a meritocracy good for the athletes but not the coaches? Actually, why isn't a meritocracy good for the rest of us? If whites were so rascist, then there would not be so many black athletes. Whites would simply reserve a good sized portion of those million-dollar slots for themselves. Maybe Mr. Blackistone needs to remember just who took the oath as president yesterday. Considering that the black vote always goes Democratic, just who does he really think put Obama on the dais at the Capitol yesterday?
Finally, I can't wait until we can get back to sports again. I watch sports to escape the everyday word of business, politics, and such. Sports shouldn't be like sitting in sociology or political science 101 classes.
at least athletes are making a difference in these people's lives. there are a lot if working class and non-working class people who wont give a cent and are very seccessful in what they do. so if you want to start criticizing professional athletes think about those who make a descent amount of money and time they offer to charities.
Thankfully there are decent athletes around.You only hear about the bad ones. Like teenagers, you never hear about the good kids, only the jerks.
As much as I'd like to donate time and money to worthy causes, I'm working two jobs to just make ends meet and have very little free time or money to do "good" things.
I guess the almost six months of money I work for that goes to taxes that goes to so many "worthwhile" boondoggles qualifies for something, though, so I do feel good about myself.
Finally, now that we're so inclusive with a half-black president, maybe college and pro sports can also get more inclusive and afford more white athletes the chance to earn NBA and NFL millions.
Three, it is amazing how Mr. Blackistone will make an affirmative-action type comment about the number of black coaches yet somehow miss the affirmative-action fact that blacks are over represented as players. Why is a meritocracy good for the athletes but not the coaches? Actually, why isn't a meritocracy good for the rest of us? If whites were so rascist, then there would not be so many black athletes. Whites would simply reserve a good sized portion of those million-dollar slots for themselves. Maybe Mr. Blackistone needs to remember just who took the oath as president yesterday. Considering that the black vote always goes Democratic, just who does he really think put Obama on the dais at the Capitol yesterday?
WOW!!!!! What a funny statement from Nick S. (If whites were so RACIST not rascist as you wrote then there would not be so many black athletes). Nick, just imagine what the sports world would be like if white athletes played at white schools and black athletes at black schools. MOST!! of the T.V. money would go to the black schools because that is where most not all but most of the talent would be and there wouldn't be many of those "million-dollar slots" for white athletes to get. Don't turn this into black vs white, that's been the problem with America since it's birth. People need to stop judging other people until they have walked in each others shoes. America will now have the leadership it needs to show the world how GREAT it truly is.
Most of the athletes "with roots in Africa" will add to Obama's list of tax credits for those who don't work. YES WE CAN!
Blackistone wrote the whole article based on the race of black. About time we discuss players as players and not white, black, etc. Don't you all agree? Actually, I care not about the races of the players or coaches. Actually, I care not about their social works either. I do care about their performance both on and off the field as it affects the win column for the teams I root for. Entertain me and give me victory, for I enjoy the "thrill of victory" and hate the "agony of defeat." Besides, go STEELERS! Gosh! We sure have a great coach!
Everything is in Black and White and I commend Brother Blackistone for this article. Why do white people get so upset when you Black people talk to Black people about stepping up their game for their community. If we don't do anything we are lazy and guilty, if we do talk about it we are racist. If there were enough white boys that could play any sport better than black men they would be there. The front office makes the real money and few Black men benefit there. White men still make the most money and govern every sport. That's why they can fine brothers that do a little dance in the inzone to keep the Niggahs in their place. I am so sick of you crying foul about nothing that concerns you because most of you could care less about what goes on in the black community. That's not your job so don't get pissed when it is black people's concern. You need Black men because all your sports would be boring as hell without them. It's time to demand the fair share of all the money Blacks make all the leagues. If we acted like Tony Soprano and got I fair share you all would shut your mouths.
the ncaa doesnt have enough black head coaches because they are black its because they are too stupid . look at the sec in which he blasted and mississippi st. who just fired the 1st and only black coach in sec history ! why ? because he was too stupid too get the job done! he got the chance and blew it now how was that the sec fault or the ncaa well this fools calling for black players too boycott the sec ? well the sec has more blacks player in the nfl than most conferences put together blackistone is an ignorant fool and a token reporter
Hey Kevin,...this is your old colleague , Mark Bush, couldn't help but to comment on the profundity of the issue around ADs at major institutions(not just the SEC), that movement needs to be harnessed for sure,...or the high school seniors need to take the message of Obama of 'yes we can'(play somewhwere else) to universities that are more and inclusive and sensitive to this macro picture. But we've got to get AAU commuinty, parents,coaches, supporters, etc. to 'believe' in this direction,...starts there in my opinion
Kevin
Your article is a fabulous call to action. I would love to speak with you because I have lots of ideas here. I beleive if the atheletes had more direction they would love to give back much more and on a wider scale. I am writing a book that speaks to this. I have a huge vision that is all about professional athelets lifting the spirit of their world wide audience. Love your article! Thanks for putting it out! Perfect timing with riding the fabuloous Obama wave. Let's talk!
SO, LUCKYSUNDAY22 SAYS HE/SHE IS TIRED OF "READING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND BLACK VOICE COLUMSN"....HMMMM...UNDERSTAND....I CALL THEM OPEN-EYES-WIDE COLUMNS...I THINK WE DO NOT SEE ENOUGH OF THEM...FRANKLY, GREAT CALL(ING), MR. BLACKSTONE...BY THE WAY, THERE ARE ONLY RETIRED FIGHTERS.....I NEVER MET A RETIRED FIGHTER THAT WAS NOT CARRYING A LIFELONG INJURY FROM BOXING!
Dear Kevin, great job, oh did you know there are white athletes too ????
TO SMARTSISTAH: Why do you think white people comment about the continuous drone of 'black this, black that'? When white people have a 'White Miss America' and the 'White Entertainment Network' and the National Association For White People, and apparently you don't have to be from Africa to be 'African America', The Tuskeegee Airman won World War Two. Hey, black it up all you want, but every time you talk about not enough black coaches, there are not enough white basketball and football players.
But there is one thing thing you can do better, and thats raise the homicide rate.....I guess I should apologise when people like you and Kevin point out the accomplishments of people that I too find amazing they achieved...
"The question after the Obama euphoria subsides is what the others who make their living like Mutombo will do to honor this president they claimed to be so moved by."
Ask not what you can do for your country - ask what you can do for The Exalted One.
Mutombo is a GREAT MAN. That was the point of this article. If more human beings took their blessings and helped to make a difference, the world would be a better place.