BEREA, Ohio— Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown says he’s encouraged to see athletes taking risks by “intelligently protesting” for social change.
The 78-year-old Cleveland Browns great has been an activist for more than 50 years. On Friday, he praised players like NBA superstar LeBron James for speaking out and “bringing attention” to high-profile cases in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York.
James and Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving were among a group of players who wore “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts this week in support of the family of Eric Garner, who died in July after a New York police officer placed him in a chokehold while trying to arrest him.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James addressed their reasons behind wearing ‘I can’t breathe’ shirts http://t.co/ATvhP8nQHO pic.twitter.com/7PG4K9Aa2e
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 9, 2014
Five players with the St. Louis Rams showed support for Michael Brown and protestors in Ferguson when they took the field with their hands up.
Despite criticism, Jared Cook has no regrets about the Rams’ “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” display: http://t.co/5Zgf2UBA3u pic.twitter.com/5cztcuMH3G
— SB Nation (@SBNation) December 4, 2014
Brown hopes for more dialogue between civic leaders and law enforcement to prevent further tragedies.
