We Matter: Athletes and Activism

Written by Etan Thomas

Narrated by Julian Thomas

Featuring interviews by former NBA player Etan Thomas with over fifty athletes, executives, media figures, and more--and interwoven with essays and critiques by Thomas--We Matter shares the personal tales and opinions of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, Steve Kerr, Oscar Robertson, Mark Cuban, Michael Bennett, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Swin Cash, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber, Jemele Hill, Anquan Boldin, Jamal Crawford, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Shannon Sharpe, James Blake, John Carlos, Laila Ali, Michael Eric Dyson, Joakim Noah, Eric Reid, Adam Silver, Soledad O'Brien, John Wall, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Bradley Beal, Tamika Catchings, Curtis Conway, Harry Edwards, Chris Hayes, Chamique Holdsclaw, Scoop Jackson, Bomani Johnes, Shaun King, Jimmy King, Ted Leonsis, Thabo Sefolosha, Ilyasah Shabazz, Torrey Smith, Kenny Smith, Michael Smith, David West, Michael Wilbon, Jahvaris Fulton (brother of Trayvon Martin), Emerald Snipes (daughter of Eric Garner), Allysza Castile (sister of Philando Castile), Valerie Castile (mother of Philando Castile), and Dr. Tiffany Crutcher (sister of Terence Crutcher). This volume will be an inspiration for many different people: sports junkies; young readers who need words of encouragement from their favorite athletes; parents seeking positive messages for their children; activists who want to hear athletes using their voices to address social justice; and schools that need motivational material for their students.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781501997679

Etan Thomas

ETAN THOMAS, a former eleven-year NBA player, was born in Harlem and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has published multiple books including: We Matter: Athletes and Activism (voted a top ten best activism book of all time by BookAuthority), More than an Athlete, Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge, and Voices of the Future. Thomas received the 2010 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award as well as the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation Legacy Award—both honoring his advocacy for social justice. He is a senior writer for BasketballNews.com and a regular contributor to the Guardian and The Undefeated. He can frequently be seen on MSNBC as a special correspondent and cohosts a weekly show with Dave Zirin called, The Collision: Where Sports and Politics Collide.

Reviews for We Matter

[diana.hauser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WE MATTER: ATHLETES AND ACTIVISM by Etan Thomas is “an in-depth and up-close look at today’s landscape of high-profile activist athletes.”“This volume will be an inspiration for many different people: sports junkies; young readers who need words of encouragement from their favorite athletes; parents seeking positive messages for their children; activists who want to hear athletes using their voices to address social justice; and schools that need motivational material for their students.”Etan Thomas is a former NBA player. He is a writer, a poet, a radio announcer, a motivational speaker and special correspondent on MSNBC.WE MATTER is the fourth title in Dave Zirin’s EDGE OF SPORTS imprint.I received an ‘Advance Reading Copy of WE MATTER from the publisher, Akashic Books, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. I couldn’t be more thrilled and honored - this is a MUST READ for everyone.The book consists of: an impassioned Introduction13 Chapters featuring interviews with over 50 athletes, media figures, sports executives and family members of young blacks killed by police.“Kaepernick” a poem by Malcolm Thomas“You Matter” a poem by Etan ThomasAfterword by Dave ZirinI like the excellent talking points/chapter points ex. “Athlete Activism Matters”; The Kaepernick Movement Matters”; “Speaking Out in the Age of Trump Matters”: “Education Matters”.I like the excellent, articulate interviews with a diverse group of people who offer their personal stories and opinions. The interviews are personal, passionate, emotional, interesting, thoughtful, very purposeful and informative.I like the reason/ purpose of the interviews given by Etan Thomas. p.7-8 of the IntroductionI like that one can pick and choose the ‘chapters’ - there is no prescribed order.I like Chapter 11 “Having the Talk with Young Female Athletes Matters”, especially the interview with Soledad O’Brien. It is current and an extremely important issue for everyone - male and female.I like Chaper 12 “Fighting for your Rights Matters”. It is a very informative and passionately written chapter. There is a great interview with Oscar Robertson. The Curt Flood ‘story’ was an eye-opener for me.Chapter 8 “Speaking Out in the Age of Trump” is a great chapter and I like the way the ‘psychology of fandom’ is discussed.An impressive, important and impassioned book. I would highly recommend this title to anyone and everyone.