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NBA Players Robert Covington, Luol Deng Partner With Entrepreneur David Gross, NBPA to Revitalize South Side Chicago
More than ever before, professional athletes have committed themselves to serving as catalysts for change. And while we’ve seen superstars like LeBron James launch voting initiatives, or rookies like Grant Williams create a mentorship program for Black and Brown youth, Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington and former NBA star Luol Deng are looking to do their…
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Welcome to Trump's America, Where NFL Players Taking a Moment of Silence for Racial Equality Get Booed
About a year and a half ago, I was at a crossroads. As one of the countless Black folks who wanted nothing to do with the NFL after its blatant mistreatment of Colin Kaepernick, I began to realize that it was entirely unrealistic for my boycott, then two seasons in, to continue indefinitely. Being a…
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Rockets Forward Danuel House Jr. Under Investigation for Sneaking Female COVID-19 Testing Official Into Hotel Room
I’ve never spent a day of my life in the NBA bubble, but I have spent a notable portion of my time on Earth as a member of the United States Air Force. And immediately following Hell—more commonly known as basic training—I was shipped off to tech school in Biloxi, Miss., which is essentially the…
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Big Protest Energy: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans In Talks to Kick Off NFL Season With Exactly What You Expect
This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it—and not because we’re one day closer to punting Trump’s lying ass out of office, but because the 2020 NFL football season begins tonight. That’s your cue to throw confetti and squeal like a Backstreet Boys fan. In honor…
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Instead of Fighting for a Seat at the Table, The Black Effect Podcast Network Makes History By Building Its Own
Much like the rest of the entertainment industry, despite all of the money and resources being thrown around, the wonderful world of podcasts is still very much a game of have and have nots—especially for Black creatives. Joe Budden’s exodus from Spotify highlights how Black creators are habitually devalued by media companies despite our tremendous…
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It's Not You, It's Me: Big Changes Could Be In Store for the Milwaukee Bucks—Including Antetokounmpo's Departure
With an ugly Eastern Conference Finals defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors still looming in the background, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst had plenty of work to do prior to the NBA’s 2019-20 season. Restricted by limited cap space and the myriad of challenges that befall small-market franchises, the 36-year-old pulled off…
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DeAndre Hopkins Is Rich AF
I didn’t wake up today thinking, “You know what I want for breakfast? A 2-year contract extension worth $54.5 million”—because I was hungry as shit and french toast sounded far more enticing at the time. But Arizona Cardinals wideout DeAndre Hopkins did, and according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the three-time All-Pro just…
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New Study Breaks Down How Affluent White Students, Coaches Profit From the Exploitation of Black NCAA Athletes
The NCAA is big business for everybody but Black players—but you knew that already because like millions of other accomplished individuals, you read The Root. But what you probably didn’t know is how extensively the NCAA’s ban on profit-sharing with student-athletes—enacted by a 1957 court ruling that denied the widow of college athlete Ray Dennison…
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Report: It Turns Out White Guilt Drove NFL to Entertain Colin Kaepernick's Return, Create 'Fake' Interest
In the immediate aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers, white America experienced a reckoning of sorts. Record labels apologized for historically exploiting Black artists, cities painted murals in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement, racists got outed, institutions distanced themselves from their oppressive origins—basically, white folks…
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Dak Prescott Hopes Jerry Jones Doesn't Treat Cowboys Players Like Runaway Slaves When They Inevitably Protest the National Anthem
I know, I know, he means well. With professional athletes more expressive about social justice causes than ever before, NFL star Dak Prescott believes that Cowboys players will inevitably join the fray despite their plantation owner Jerry Jones’ wishes to the contrary. However, the two-time Pro Bowler believes that his teammates shouldn’t subscribe to groupthink,…