Monday, July 25, 2016

Michael Jordan Can 'No Longer Stay Silent'

For most of his time as a public figure, Michael Jordan has taken heat for not being outspoken enough on politics and social justice issues.

The oft-disputed quote "Republicans buy sneakers, too" has long been attributed to him, after he failed to throw his weight behind the 1990 U.S. Senate candidate Harvey Gantt, an African-American lawmaker challenging the infamously racially insensitive Sen. Jesse Helms.

But on Monday, Jordan wrote a personal essay for the African-American themed sports blog The Undefeated — breaking with his decades-long tradition of largely being agnostic when it comes controversy. 

In a post entitled "I Can No Longer Stay Silent," Jordan referenced the 1993 gun-violence related death of his own father to underline how the shootings of unarmed black men is a deeply personal issue for him. "I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well," he wrote.    

Click here for the full article. 

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