During his media session with reporters on Friday, Portland Trail Blazers small forward Carmelo Anthony took a long pause when he was asked to talk about the fact that racism still exists in America on the 65th anniversary of Emmett Till’s murder.
Once he collected his thoughts, Anthony admitted it doesn't give him much hope that things will change since not much has changed following Till’s murder.
Via Jason Quick of The Athletic:
Carmelo Anthony was reminded that Friday was the 65th anniversary of Emmett Till’s murder in Mississippi, and here he was, still talking about the same injustices that cost the 14-year-old his life. When asked whether there was anything about this stage in time that gave him hope for change, Anthony paused.
“When you put it like that, I don’t see hope,” Anthony said. “I don’t see the change. Sixty some years to this day of Emmett Till, and we are still dealing with the same issue today. Jacob Blake, the most recent one. These are things that have been happening, that will continue to happen, and they’ve always been happening. And now we’ve seen it in the palm of our hands, we’ve seen it on our TV screens, and we’ve seen it live and direct.”
Jacob Blake was breaking up a fight and didn't commit a crime or have a weapon.
However, he was shot seven times in the back by police and he's likely never going to be able to walk again.
While Carmelo Anthony and the Blazers have to focus on Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers, it's naturally tough to just brush off the fact that another Black man was shot for no reason.
Anthony and the Blazers are down 3-1 to the Lakers. Portland faces the obstacle of trying to defeat the Lakers three straight times without Damian Lillard, who is away from the team rehabbing his knee.
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