Bigger than basketball
Moving society along Surrounded by hundreds of protestors fighting for racial justice after the death of George Floyd, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban walks the streets of downtown Dallas alongside his players May 31. Cuban and the Mavericks organization as a whole have continued their push for social justice at the NBA’s Restart in Orlando, which began July 30.
Mark Cuban utilizes his platform as one of sports most influential owners to push for social change and combat racial inequality.
S
eptember 2017. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban publicly expresses his desire for his players to stand, hand over heart, for the National Anthem before tipoff. Fast forward three years later. Now, he’s protesting alongside his players, immersed in crowds of hundreds of people, standing in solidarity against the systemic oppression the Black community feels each and every single day in this country. Now, he’s encouraging his players to kneel for the Anthem, even hoping to be right there with them on the court. Now, he’s tweeting that the “National Anthem Police in this country are out of control.” Such a dramatic shift in his stance on the nation’s anthem coincides with all that has transpired in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and many others. –––– Mask on, Cuban –– along with Mavericks Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, Jalen Brunson and Justin Jackson –– walked the streets of downtown Dallas May 31 to protest the institutional racism plaguing America today. While the vast majority of professional sports owners merely released a statement condemning racism, Cuban felt a responsibility to back up his words with action, choosing to protest alongside his players. “The Mavs are a part of the North Texas community,” Cuban wrote to Focus in an email interview. “When the community feels pain, we want to be part of the process to start the healing and help where we can. This wasn’t just about being involved in protests but more importantly about creating solutions that we can offer to those in need.” As many view the NBA’s Restart at Disney as a strong platform to push for social change, Cuban and the Mavericks organization are fully supportive of any statement a Maverick player chooses to make. After the NBA announced it would allow players to wear a statement on social justice on the back of their jerseys, the Mavericks opted for a single, unified message: each player is wearing “Equality” in lieu of his last name while in Orlando. 2
“The NBA will have control of all messaging in Orlando,” Cuban wrote. “That said, we fully support our players’ ability to use their first amendment right to stand up for what they believe in.”
‘I always try to learn. Over the last three years, I’ve learned much more about the Black experience and systemic racism in America. That led me to change my perspective [on the National Anthem].’
– Mark Cuban
Twenty years into his tenure as an owner in the NBA –– a league whose player pool is around 80% Black –– Cuban is still making a concerted effort to better understand Black culture along with the challenges of being Black in the United States today to help strengthen his relationships with Black Mavericks players. Simply put, Cuban believes the same approach should be applied here at 10600 Preston Rd.
“I listen,” Cuban, whose son Jake is in fifth-grade here, wrote. “I try to talk to our players privately and hear their personal stories. I think St. Mark’s should enable their students to not just do community outreach but truly listen to the experiences of their Black peers to truly come to understand how their lives are different.” Cuban, understanding that white people will be counted on to evolve for tangible social change to occur, believes the school needs to openly welcome more conversations about race. “White people are not comfortable talking about race,” Cuban wrote. “There should be conversations among students about how the Black experience in America is vastly different than it is for whites and how white people can recognize and change the systemic racism that Black people face. We need to teach our white students to ‘see something, say something’ when it comes to even the most subtle racism. I think kids at St. Mark’s can truly be leaders in this area.”
Story William Aniol Photo Courtesy Miles Hearne
Uncomfortable Conversations With A black man
T
hree months ago, Emmanuel Acho ’08 was simply a sports analyst. As a retired NFL linebacker, he chose to take the route of sports media as many former professional athletes do. Growing up here in Dallas, Acho was one of few Black students on campus. He heard time and time again, ‘you talk like you’re white’ or ‘you’re pretty smart for a Black guy.’ Because Acho was surrounded by both Black communities at home as well as predominantly white communities at school, he was uniquely prepared to be a voice for racial justice during this trying time. Combine that with his platform as a former professional athlete, and now, Acho is educating millions of Americans on the persisting systemic racism in the United States through his “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” video series. Acho’s first episode, in which he addresses how white people can be a part of the solution, caught the nation by storm, reeling in nearly 28 million views across all platforms.
‘
In order to stand with us, and people that look like me, you have to be educated on issues that pertain to me, and fully educated so you can feel the full level of pain. If the white person is your problem, only the white person can be your solution. [People] need to say ‘you know what, maybe I’m a part of the problem. Maybe I can fix this issue not just by being not racist but by being anti-racist.’ We understand all lives matter, but right now Black people are dying at the hands of white people, and I can’t change that. Only you, my white friends, can change that.
Throughout his episodes, Acho has included a variety of outside voices from a wide-range of backgrounds and experiences, namely actor Matthew McConaughey, NHL defenseman P. K. Subban and HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. Alongside these collaborations, Acho has partnered with TV host and billionaire Oprah Winfrey on continuing the conversation through a book deal, including two titles: “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” and “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy.” In addition, Acho appeared on The Oprah Conversation, Good Morning America and Late Show with Stephen Colbert, among others. Although Acho recently landed a hosting position on Fox Sports’ Speak For Yourself, continuing to share his opinions and analysis on sports’ biggest storylines, he has undoubtedly risen to a position of influence greater than that of his previous role as just a sports analyst –– he is now a voice for the unheard. Story William Aniol
White privilege is having a head start of hundreds and hundreds of years due to systematic and systemic racism. I navigate America as a visitor, whereas for white people, it’s home. If we truly want to bring forth change it starts not only with you and I, but it’s also about the next generation. Don’t feel guilty, just acknowledge. And so what can white people do to help? Understand what Black men and Black women are going through and help alleviate some of our pain.
Emmanuel Acho ’08 3 39
2 38 2 38
Right Here Focus
Focus Right Here
39