SANT ‘ANTONIO – “We ask for change.” It’s the message delivered by local sports figures and community leaders in support of NBA players who refuse to play.
Professional athletes from nearly every major sport sat down on Wednesday to protest police brutality and racial injustice following the shooting of an unarmed black man. The latest incident occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“Enough is enough for me. It was enough. I’ve been tired. I’ve been fed up with it, “said John Roberson, a native of East Side. Roberson is a former American basketball player from New Mexico State and the father of Andre Roberson who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now, Roberson is setting championship goals aside for his son, supporting NBA teams that actively boycott the season.
“We have to face this big elephant in the room, you know, be it gray, pink, whatever it is, we have to face the root, because I’m tired of seeing young black men being killed,” Roberson said.
The decision to boycott comes after police shot another unarmed black man on Sunday. It is not clear when the season will resume.
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The latest victim, Jacob Blake, is now paralyzed from the waist down, his father said.
San Antonio Fatherhood Initiative director Ramon Vasquez says it’s important for those with influence to lead by example.
Like Roberson, Vasquez believes that addressing issues head-on will help tomorrow’s leaders break the cycle of unfair treatment.
“We must also follow … The leaders of tomorrow are not sitting in the executive directors’ chairs behind the organizations. They are out there on the streets right now, ”Vasquez said.
The streets many say leave people of color vulnerable to police brutality and unfair treatment. Although there is optimism that through protest, equity will have to overcome, someday, Roberson said.
“It is important that the players make their voices heard,” said Roberson.
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