“Silence is violence” reads the shirt sported by Boston Celtics All-NBA small forward Jayson Tatum in the clip below, designed by Philadelphia Union midfielder Warren Creavalle.
Tatum, in fact, is the first face you see in the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) public service announcement “We stand because we have to” that was released Friday in conjunction with the Black Players for Change (BPC) to encourage people to vote in the coming election.
The video included teammate Jaylen Brown and fellow NBPA members Malcolm Brogdon, Andre Iguodala, Austin Rivers as well as a number of BPC members, and was created “to keep social justice and racial equality at the forefront of the conversation heading into the upcoming election” according to the NBPA.
“We are honored to collaborate with our brothers in the NBPA in the struggle for racial equality and human rights,” shared BPC Executive Director Justin Morrow.
Stevens: Voter registration key to ‘Boston Celtics United’ initiative https://t.co/D7pl48VibP
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 22, 2020
“Our hope is the messaging in the video will resonate with all those standing shoulder to shoulder with us as we do our part to make change,” he added.
“We stand with our brothers from Black Players for Change as a reminder that we will not forget about the victims of police brutality and racial injustice and we will not stop fighting for change,” related NBPA President Chris Paul. “We urge everyone to fight with us, and use their vote to make a difference in this coming election.”
Both Brown and Tatum have taken an increasingly active role in such initiatives, the former in particular taking a hands-on approach to the Boston Celtics United initiative, as well as in Brown’s role as one of several Vice Presidents of the NBPA.
