We Matter

March 1, 2018

Former college and NBA star Thomas has followed his outstanding basketball career with ventures into writing, radio, television, and social activism. His new book is an accessible collection of interviews and essays addressing racial profiling, the power and relevance of athletes' voices, gender inequality, and mental health stigmas. He includes conversations with families of victims of police and vigilante violence, sports legends such as Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and today's athletes who are on the front lines of controversy. The author also shares his own experiences of discrimination and difficulties in having to explain racism and injustice to his young children. In appealing and intelligent writing, Thomas encourages fans and athletes to share their voices and inspires thoughtful action through this well-timed and significant collection. VERDICT Recommended for not only high school and college students but all readers concerned with social activism and awareness. An excellent resource to spark discussions and motivate positive community expression and involvement.--Janet Davis, Darien P.L., CTAn epic trek, a truly inspiring read; penetrating the mysteries of art; women filmmakers at work

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Thomas was a ferocious rebounder and defender during a 10-year NBA career cut short by a heart ailment. Now he's a writer, activist, and host of a radio program dealing with social issues. Here he presents 50 interviews with athletes past and present as well as various media figures and others on a broad-ranging variety of issues dealing mainly with race and social justice. From the first generation of activist athletes, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Harry Edwards are here, offering historical perspective, while current NBA stars Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Derrick Rose, among many others, reflect contemporary positions. Among the specific topics discussed are the Kaepernick movement, the importance of ignoring the haters, the evolution of activism among athletes, the role of coaches and owners in using their influence to foment change, and the ongoing crisis of police brutality. Among the nonathletes interviewed are Jahvaris Fulton (Trayvon Martin's brother), writer Michael Eric Dyson, and broadcaster Soledad O'Brien. Thought-provoking and often intensely moving reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 1, 2018

Taking advantage of the momentum created when NFL player Colin Kaepernick took a knee, retired NBA player, writer, and activist Thomas explores the work of athlete activists. He interviewed more than 50 athletes, sports executives, media professionals, and family members of police brutality victims for this project. The 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 justice, 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. Readers, especially athletes, will be inspired by these powerful role models. White allyship is stressed, and the effects of police brutality on communities is a major theme. Each exchange is prefaced with background-teens can read chapters out of order, and educators can assign individual interviews. Poems written by Thomas and his son are a bonus. VERDICT An important read, executed uniquely. Hand to teens who enjoyed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Becoming Kareem.-Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2018
A 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.Thomas, who has published a volume of poetry (More Than an Athlete, 2005) and a memoir (Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge, 2012), interviews a wide assortment of voices, including media personalities (Chris Hayes, Soledad O'Brien), basketball legends (Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), current stars (Dwayne Wade, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony), intellectuals (Michael Eric Dyson), and family members of young blacks killed by the police (Trayvon Martin's brother, Eric Garner's daughter). The commentators offer experiences and opinions that range from wrenching to unsurprising to thought-provoking. Several themes are present throughout: people in the public eye must speak up; athletes need to be more active (there is much praise here for Colin Kaepernick and much condemnation for OJ Simpson--not because of murder but because of his failure to speak up for social justice when he could have made a difference); we must educate black children, not just in the traditional school subjects, but in techniques of survival in a society and a justice system severely tilted against them. A number of interview subjects, as well as Thomas, also argue strenuously for salaries for college athletes. Most poignant are the conversations with the surviving family members of slain black youth, Martin and Garner among them. Throughout the collection, there are many instances of deep, abiding grief and determination to work to prevent injustices from happening to others. The author is a genial interviewer; there are no contrarians here, and no conversations display any real disagreement or rancor. Other interviewees include Mark Cuban, Steve Kerr, Tamika Catchings, Michael Wilbon, Laila Ali, and Jemele Hill.Voices of pain, anger, and hope resound through these pages--and through the reader's heart.

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