The San Antonio Spurs are using their platform to open a dialogue about racism

Before today, the San Antonio Spurs were one of two NBA organizations not to make a statement about racism in our country. Today, they changed that.

The discourse regarding racism and police brutality against black people and other people of color is at the forefront of our country right now. With protests spreading throughout the country in response to the murder of Geroge Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officers, the San Antonio Spurs, an organization dedicated to community relations and open-mindedness, were one of two NBA franchises to remain silent on social media through the early portions of these events.

Today, the Spurs changed that by unveiling their new social media video series, Spurs Voice, in which they provide a platform for black members of the organization to speak on their personal experiences about what’s going on in our country. So far, they’ve featured beloved sophomore Lonnie Walker IV, general manager Brian Wright and Deputy General Counsel Brandon James.

In the first video clip, James addresses why we haven’t heard anything directly from the Spurs just yet. According to James, it’s because the organization has been listening to the members of said organization and gathering information to ensure that they and their fans can be properly educated with first-hand anecdotes from influential figures within the River City.

We are listening. We invite you to do the same.

These are stories of how racism impacts our organization. This is the first step towards our commitment to help create impactful change starting with our community, while also acknowledging that this issue is systemic. #SpursVoices pic.twitter.com/GZQkXhjbn1

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 3, 2020

We are listening. We invite you to do the same.

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 3, 2020

We are listening. We invite you to do the same.

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 3, 2020

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From the top-down, the Spurs have historically been a progressive organization that prioritizes people over everything. Within their locker room, head coach Gregg Popovich emphasizes the importance of being a good person and a good neighbor. For years, San Antonio has been home to players from around the world of all different races, backgrounds and creeds. They’ve been inclusive, caring and attentive to everyone’s needs, winning five championships in the process.

Maybe they didn’t have an immediate response, but that’s because the Spurs organization was doing it’s due diligence to make sure they got this one right.

Instead of posting some random, uninspired graphic and getting on with their lives, the Spurs are giving their platform as a means of voicing the pain that their black players, coaches and staff members have suffered through while battling oppression at the hands of police and politicians who don’t have their best interest at heart.

I urge you to listen to these stories no matter what your skin color looks like or how you feel about the protests going on. If you can support these men in their pursuits of winning NBA championships, then you can certainly support them in living their lives to the fullest extent that the laws of the U.S. Constitution outline for them.

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United States citizens are seeking change and the Spurs are standing by them in that endeavor.