Before Kaepernick, there was Etan Thomas. --Kirkus ReviewsFeaturing interviews by former NBA player Etan Thomas with over fifty athletes, executives, media figures, and more--and interwoven with essays and critiques by Thomas--We Matter shares the personal tales and opinions of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, Steve Kerr, Oscar Robertson, Mark Cuban, Michael Bennett, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Swin Cash, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber, Jemele Hill, Anquan Boldin, Jamal Crawford, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Shannon Sharpe, James. --Library Journal, A Best Book of 2018A former NBA player and current activist and MSNBC commentator returns with a collection of dozens of interviews on the subject of race in America--all supporting the efforts of Athletes to speak out and up...
Voices of pain, anger, and hope resound through these pages--and through the reader\'s heart.
A necessary read. --Athletes QuarterlyThomas interviews athletes, coaches, and sports personalities as he covers topics related to Activism from the sporting realm and how it is perceived in America. --School Library Journal, STARRED reviewIn his new book, We Matter: Athletes and Activism, Thomas tirelessly interviews a range of people from NBA icons to the families of crime victims to illustrate the importance of Athletes using their voice for more than just sports. --Washington PostThe honest conversations, published in transcript form and often accompanied by black-and-white photos, serve as a primer on recent police violence cases, a history lesson on the first Athletes who stood up for racial injustice, an examination of the experience of being young and black in the United States, and an insightful look at how it feels to lose a loved one to tragedy, from contributors such as Jemele Hill, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Carmelo Anthony...
An important read, executed uniquely.
Thomas also explored his ties with the Wizards and spoke with John Wall, Bradley Beal, and current majority team owner Ted Leonsis.
Thomas conducted 50 interviews, which included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Laila Ali, Michael Bennett, and Eric Reid, among many other athletes, as well as journalists, television personalities, and family members of unarmed black men who were shot and killed. --New York TimesIn We Matter, Thomas strives to show the influence professional Athletes can have when they join the conversation on race, politics, and civil rights.
Before Kaepernick, there was Etan Thomas
