One of the WNBA’s greats was one of four recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum’s Sports Legacy Award – the 13th annual this year.
Swin Cash – along with NBA greats James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and Penny Hardaway were the four honorees.
The honorees were announced prior to the 16th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Game that was televised locally on Fox Sports Southeast and nationally on TNT. The game itself featured the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.
Also prior to the game, the four recipients took part in a panel discussion about race. Cash mentioned how the issue especially hits home when thinking about her five-month old son.
We go through the airport, it doesn’t matter Black, White, Hispanic, Asian…they look at him as such a baby and say he’s so cute.
My son at some point 15 years from now, he’s going to grow up and that same little boy is going to be a tall African-American boy and some people aren’t going to view him as this cute, little, innocent boy.
They’re going to look at my child and they’re going to have a negative opinion of him not because they know him, but because of the color of his skin or how he may look or how big he may be.
She also highlighted how WNBA and NBA players can be agents of change not only because of their celebrity status, but also because the vast majority of players are African-American. As has been seen countless times – including to the NFL’s Michael Bennett – it does not matter if one is LeBron James, Swin Cash, or your neighbor down the street – Black skin alone incites fear.
LeBron said it best – it doesn’t matter how much money he has. He’s driving that Mercedes in a neighborhood down the street and they pull him over, they don’t care if you’re LeBron James or whoever else, you are still looking at 6-foot-8 African-American male that somebody may say I’m intimidated by.
Swin Cash discusses MLK’s legacy! #NBAVoices #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/fDjqaqt4lD
— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2018
If a single voice can inspire change, imagine the collective power of many voices, calling for equality, justice, and unity – building bridges of understanding in our communities. Join us. Share your voice. Be heard. https://t.co/wPhsvZzWcM #NBAVoices ??
— Swin Cash (@SwinCash) January 16, 2018
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
