In a year that has been habitual for specific support from influential people outside the black community for the Black Lives Matter movement, racial equality and even more specifically for criminal justice reform, we can be relieved that Robert Sarver, managing partner of Phoenix Suns, delivered a concise and clean message today that serves as a starting point for the franchise’s continued investment and support for change.
The specific message of criminal justice reform has been rare from influential non-black supporters in recent months, but Sarver’s statement is a step in the right direction when it comes to outlining clear ways in which he and the organization will help players’ efforts. . .
The NBA’s Board of Governors reportedly held a meeting Thursday morning on how to work with players who will move forward after Wednesday’s players strike in the bubble.
When protests raged over George Floyd’s murder, many people and organizations showed support for the BLM movement and social justice, but few were specific about how they would contribute to significant change in an area such as criminal justice reform.
Only recently, after another round of riots in the wake of Jacob Blake’s police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has the conversation reached another crescendo and hopefully more meaningful action will follow.
Criminal justice reform is needed, and NBA players clearly prioritize it as part of how they want to use their platform. It remains to be seen how exactly Sarver will support those efforts in the future, but nonetheless it’s a step in the right direction to see him being directed into this statement rather than using clichés and generalities.
Let’s see what happens next.
