By Victor A. Rodriguez
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, that “we must learn that passively to accept an unjust system is to co-operate with that system, and hereby to become a participant in its evil.”
In 2016 Carmelo Anthony did not passively accept the system. The nine time NBA All-Star, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist has countless basketball achievements, yet in 2016 he really broke away from the pack and it wasn’t on the court. In an age when celebrities voice faux outrage or support via a tweet or snapchat, Carmelo Anthony did more, way more.
It perhaps, all started with the passing of Muhammad Ali. Anthony has always been quite vocal about the influence the icon has had on him. When Ali passed, Anthony took to Instagram posting a touching tribute and calling on all to continue Ali’s legacy of social activism. Anthony not only made a call to action, but answered the call himself.
To say that in the past year racial tension in the U.S. was tenuous would be putting it mildly. We witnessed violence between police and communities of color that has not been seen since the civil rights era. In light of the questionable killings of men of color by police, Anthony utilized his platform to call for protest, but also understanding between police and minority communities. He started at the ESPY Awards, broadcasting his message and recruiting his peers Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to assist. He then organized a police-neighborhood Town Hall meeting in Los Angeles to foster that very dialogue and understanding he was calling for. He essentially, did what many with the power of his celebrity do not, which is take definable action.