Published 12:29 IST, June 16th 2020
LeBron James highlights US' history with racism in a bid to understand ongoing protests
LeBron James has been a vocal figure against racial injustice in the United States. He recently shared a post about the nation's history of racial violence.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been a vocal figure against racial injustice and police brutality over the last few weeks in the United States. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked nationwide protests, in what has now turned into a global movement. Athletes and celebrities have played a big part in spreading awareness about the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, while LeBron James has been leading the charge when it comes to athletes in the NBA speaking out against police brutality and systemic racism in US.
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Racism in US: LeBron James, others support George Floyd protests
Among athletes from the major sports leagues in the country, Lakers star LeBron James has been a constant presence on social media as he has repeatedly weighed in on the anti-racism protests. James has used his social media platform and reach out and shed light on the peaceful protests across the country. Among several of his social media posts, LeBron James' post on late-Monday stood out where he retweeted a post from political consultant Matthew Dowd, which highlighted the nation's struggle with racism.
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Dowd shared an image from 1920, where three African-American men were lynched in Minnesota by a mob of around 5,000 men. "Falsely accused, and left unprotected by local leaders, they even sold postcards of it. Let us push for justice and equality this day and all days," Dowd wrote. LeBron James shared Dowd's post with a short message of his own.
He previously shared snippets of the George Floyd protests from across the country where the protesters gathered in masses to "silently" and "peacefully" express their outrage at the killing of George Floyd.
The 35-year-old has not shied away from taking on his naysayers on social media. Earlier this month, he slammed FOX News host Laura Ingraham for defending Drew Brees' controversial remarks over protesting during the national anthem. Ingraham, who lashed out at LeBron and Kevin Durant in the past for speaking out on political issues, chose to defend Brees on live television.
LeBron James, among several other athletes, pointed out Ingraham's "hypocrisy" claiming the television host has little to no idea what these protests are about. The Lakers star said that the minority communities in the United States were tired of the 'racial injustice' and 'police brutality', which he does not think Ingraham will understand.
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Image Courtesy: LeBron James Twitter and Instagram
Updated 12:29 IST, June 16th 2020