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babylonsister

(171,057 posts) Wed Dec 17, 2014, 07:38 PM Dec 2014

Obama Applauds LeBron James For Wearing 'I Can't Breathe' T-Shirt

Obama Applauds LeBron James For Wearing 'I Can't Breathe' T-Shirt
The Huffington Post | By Sarah Harvard
Posted: 12/17/2014 1:39 pm EST

Although Lebron James is known as an NBA star, he's been making a name for himself as an athlete who's concerned with social consciousness, and he's already impressed one influential figure: the president of the United States.

As flagged by ABC News, President Barack Obama told People Magazine he was pleased that black celebrities were joining the discussion on race and police brutality in response to the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York.

The president singled out the Cleveland Cavalier for wearing Garner's final words, "I can't breathe," on a t-shirt during warm-ups before playing the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 9.

"I think LeBron did the right thing," Obama told People. "We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness. I'd like to see more athletes do that -- not just around the issue, but around a range of issues."

James has made headlines before for his stance against racism. In 2012, when he was playing for the Miami Heat, the basketball star got his teammates to wear hoodies and pose for a photo in tribute to Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed in Florida while walking home from a convenience store.

Two years later, James made strong remarks against racist comments made by the now-former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/obama-lebron-james-race_n_6341770.html?utm_source=salon.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange_facebook

15 replies

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Obama Applauds LeBron James For Wearing 'I Can't Breathe' T-Shirt (Original Post) babylonsister Dec 2014 OP

Hey, Derrick Rose wore one before LeBron frazzled Dec 2014 #1

I was bout to say. D Rose rocked it first alcibiades_mystery Dec 2014 #3

Heh, yeah ... frazzled Dec 2014 #4

President Obama MIGHT not have known who wore the shirt first. IrishAyes Dec 2014 #11

Thank you for noticing the march reference frazzled Dec 2014 #15

Obama has such amazing instincts, and in these last 2 years and AFTER that he is NoJusticeNoPeace Dec 2014 #2

It has been so vital that our Beautiful athletes have been raising awareness for #ICantBreathe! Cha Dec 2014 #5

Due to his not being afraid to do something madokie Dec 2014 #6

Absolutely! babylonsister Dec 2014 #7

This Is (Also) Why Obama Is A Fake supercats Dec 2014 #8

Is this really necessary? TBF Dec 2014 #9

Shame on YOU instead! IrishAyes Dec 2014 #12

Could Obama be... americannightmare Dec 2014 #10

Wouldn't it be a great gesture if Obama wore that T-shirt to a press conference? (nt) Nye Bevan Dec 2014 #13

he doesn't have to wear a T-shirt KMOD Dec 2014 #14

frazzled

(18,402 posts)

1. Hey, Derrick Rose wore one before LeBron

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 07:42 PM

Dec 2014

Maybe Obama didn't want to show favoritism to the home team.

alcibiades_mystery

(36,437 posts)

3. I was bout to say. D Rose rocked it first

Reply to frazzled (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 07:48 PM

Dec 2014

Dude can barely walk, so that's meaningful.

frazzled

(18,402 posts)

4. Heh, yeah ...

Reply to alcibiades_mystery (Reply #3)

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 07:54 PM

Dec 2014

The great hope of the Bulls kind of dashed everyone's spirits there after two seasons out. I'm not sure he'll ever hit that potential they thought. Who knows, he's young still.

IrishAyes

(6,151 posts)

11. President Obama MIGHT not have known who wore the shirt first.

Reply to frazzled (Reply #1)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 11:36 PM

Dec 2014

Regardless, I like your icon(avatar?) there. I'm old enough to remember that march too.

frazzled

(18,402 posts)

15. Thank you for noticing the march reference

Reply to IrishAyes (Reply #11)

Sun Dec 21, 2014, 11:59 AM

Dec 2014

I thought of it after Brown and Garner: sadly, the phrase from Memphis all those years ago still pertains.

NoJusticeNoPeace

(5,018 posts)

2. Obama has such amazing instincts, and in these last 2 years and AFTER that he is

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 07:44 PM

Dec 2014

going to make a real difference.

Already has, ask any one of ten million people with healthcare now.

Cha

(297,156 posts)

5. It has been so vital that our Beautiful athletes have been raising awareness for #ICantBreathe!

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 08:05 PM

Dec 2014

Thanks Obama.. and not just athletes.. it's been World Wide.. thanks babsis~

madokie

(51,076 posts)

6. Due to his not being afraid to do something

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 08:11 PM

Dec 2014

he is my favorite athlete today. Good basketball player who came from hard times and is taking advantage of that to help others. One way to help others, that a dollar figure can't be put on is, taking a stand like this.
Good on you Lebron

babylonsister

(171,057 posts)

7. Absolutely!

Reply to madokie (Reply #6)

Thu Dec 18, 2014, 12:06 AM

Dec 2014

Love you, madokie!

supercats

(429 posts)

8. This Is (Also) Why Obama Is A Fake

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Fri Dec 19, 2014, 01:23 AM

Dec 2014

He comes out and makes a hollow statement like this, but on real substantive economic issues which can really change lives for the better, helping even the playing field by putting in regulations to rein in the big banks, he sides with wall street time and time again. Obama is the evil Joker. He fooled the masses. He did wall streets dirty work and no doubt he will be paid for it. Shame on you Uncle Tom.

TBF

(32,053 posts)

9. Is this really necessary?

Reply to supercats (Reply #8)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 09:41 AM

Dec 2014

You're off-topic in the thread and obviously just here to name-call against Obama.

It is one thing to have substantive differences in policy but this is ridiculous.

IrishAyes

(6,151 posts)

12. Shame on YOU instead!

Reply to supercats (Reply #8)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 11:39 PM

Dec 2014

What have YOU done for the world lately? Except possibly lay stink bombs.

americannightmare

(322 posts)

10. Could Obama be...

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 09:52 PM

Dec 2014

going 'Bulworth' on us??? One can only hope!

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)

13. Wouldn't it be a great gesture if Obama wore that T-shirt to a press conference? (nt)

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 11:42 PM

Dec 2014

KMOD

(7,906 posts)

14. he doesn't have to wear a T-shirt

Reply to Nye Bevan (Reply #13)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 11:57 PM

Dec 2014

he's the President of the United States. He has an audience for his thoughts on the issue.

"because I think a lot of people who saw the Eric Garner video are troubled, even if they haven't had that same experience themselves. Even if they’re not African American or Latino.

I think there are a lot of good, well-meaning people -- I think there are probably a lot of police officers who might have looked at that and said, that is a tragedy what happened, and we’ve got to figure out how to bring an end to these kinds of tragedies. But then attention spans move on. There’s the next thing. There’s some international crisis. There’s something that happens here, and change doesn’t really occur.

And the value of peaceful protests, activism, organizing is it reminds the society this is not yet done. And part of what I said when we convened a meeting on Monday here at the White House was not only that I was announcing a task force that has to report in 90 days with specific, concrete steps around training, around how we are equipping police, how we’re holding police officers more accountable, not only were we going to put more funding into some of the training and technology that can prevent these things from happening, but I’m going to stay on this. And not only am I going to stay on it; by virtue of this staying in the news because of some of these protests, hopefully the entire society says let’s finally try to make some real progress on this."

- President Obama

http://www.bet.com/news/national/2014/12/12/transcript-bet-s-exclusive-interview-with-president-obama.html

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