The NBA season is back and LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers have clinched the top playoff seed in the West for the first time since 2010. However, James has also been taking his time to be a team player on the front lines of social change, particularly with the issue of voter turnout.
Voter suppression has proven to be a deep issue in recent elections. This is a root issue that will need to be combated in order to get proper turnout in November’s consequential election. It all starts with the effective partnership formed between James’ organization More Than A Vote and the group Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC).
More Than A Vote was formed shortly after the police killing of George Floyd. It was formed as the means of confronting various forms of racism, including a structurally racist voting system.
The organization has been formed along with several other black athletes and artists as a 501(c) (4) nonprofit, meaning they cannot take part directly in political campaigns. Their aim is to focus on issues affecting the black community, in particular, getting the word out for people to vote in the 2020 election.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote,” James said to Yahoo Sports. “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
Other athletes joining James include Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem.
On July 24, the organization announced they will donate $100,000 to FRRC to help ex-felons pay off outstanding fees so that they can be eligible for voter registration.
Florida is a state that has some of the stricter laws with regards to ex-felons voting. The state made some progress on the matter however when they overwhelmingly voted in 2018 in favor of Amendment Four, that gave people with prior felony convictions who had completed their sentences the right to vote. The Florida state legislature followed that by passing a law that required those “returning citizens” to pay restitution, fines and fees in order to be eligible to vote again. The FRRC has committed to ending this disenfranchisement of ex-felon voters, which has garnered support from various big names in the sporting world.
Along with James’ More Than A Vote, the Orlando Magic are also raising money for the FRRC by selling shirts with messages encouraging people to “get off the bench” and to go out and vote. The Magic also invited FRRC’s president Desmond Meade to come and coach the team on how to be social justice warriors.
Meade’s leadership and James’ organization have even drawn support from the NBA’s GOAT, Michael Jordan. On July 29 Michael Jordan announced that he will donate $1 million to FRRC.
“One of the ways we change this country’s ingrained racism is by eliminating black voter suppression,” said Jordan. “Our initial partners will directly impact the social and political power of Black people in our country.”
Some of the most prolific names in pro sports are showing that their fight is beyond the blocks, dunks and layups or the Jordan vs James debate. In especially challenging times, athletes can bridge any rivalries and debates to join together in fighting for an important, mutually supported cause.
Meade, who is also cementing his name as a civil rights leader, feels that sports also have an important place in influencing change.
“Sports can bring people like very few other things can, and it brings people together from all different walks of life,” said Meade to the Orlando Sentinel. “When you look out at sports fans, you are seeing a cornucopia of different people from different races and ethnicities.”
Meade, a social justice leader, sees sports as a key driver in bringing groups together. Meanwhile athletes now see trying times as an opportunity to go beyond the playing field and stimulate change.
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