LeBron James Reflects On 10-Year Anniversary Of Travyon Martin's Death
Former Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is known for his greatness on the basketball court, but also often responds to his calling in social justice work.
In a recent ESPN interview, James reflected on the 10-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin being murdered by George Zimmerman.
"Until you know who you are, it's hard to speak for other people. Or speak for anything. You got to be comfortable with yourself," James said in the interview. "I think it's unfortunate that we, as a society sometimes, we want certain people to talk and we want certain people to [take on issues]. Like, 'Why aren't you speaking for [this community]?' I think for me, when I was younger, I wasn't in that position to do that."
James took a controversial stand in support of Martin by taking a photo with his Heat teammates wearing black hoodies. It was the same type of hoodie Martin was deemed a “threat” for wearing at the time of his death.
“We had an opportunity to make a statement," James said. "We had an opportunity to really raise awareness”.
James admits throughout his career he grew and became clearer about his own identity in society.
“I grew”, James said. “I understand that my calling is to be able to inspire others and also be able to give voices to people that don’t have voices”. Ten years later, James has been just that. “That was our moment to not only let Trayvon Martin and his family know, but the whole entire black community and also white America know, that we ain’t for that bulls---.”
Khristian Davis is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a communications major at the University of Louisville. He can be reached at khristiandavis@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @Khris_finao1
