LeBron James Says President Trump Has Given Racism 'An Opportunity To Be Out And Outspoken'
Cavaliers star LeBron James again spoke out against President Donald Trump when he addressed reporters ahead of Monday night's game against the Warriors on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
James hasn't been shy to speak out against Trump, including when he called Trump a "bum" after the president rescinded Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors' invitation to visit the White House. James also said that Trump made hate "fashionable again" after the violent rallies by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., last year.
James referenced Trump as he spoke about Martin Luther King Day and the race in America.
"The state of racism will never die, but what we cannot do is allow it to conquer us as people," James told reporters on Monday. "The guy in control has given people and racism, and negative racism, an opportunity to be out and outspoken without fear. And that's the fearful thing for us because it's with you, and it's around every day, but he's allowed people to come out and just feel confident about doing negative things. Like I said, we can't allow that to stop us from continuing to be together and preach the right word of livin' and lovin' and laughin' and things of that nature. Because would we want to live anywhere else? I don't think so. We love this place."
James was asked what he believes Dr. King would think of James's activism.
"Well I hope I could make him proud or made him proud," he added. "Just taking what he was able to give to us and give us that type of empowerment, give us that type of strength to be able to go out and talk about things that really matter. Be able to live for something that’s more than you as an individual. So hopefully I would be one of those guys that made him proud. Hopefully I’m, making him proud still with him looking down on us.”
You can watch James' comments below via Cleveland.com:
On Monday, photos were released of the new LeBron 15 sneakers, which "07/13/2016" on the base of the sneaker. That date marks the night in which James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony spoke at the 2016 ESPY's and underscored the importance of uniting communities and taking action against racial injustice in America.
