You’ve undoubtedly seen the pictures, the beautiful pictures showing thousands of Portland residents marching together in the “Black Lives Matter” movement, or BLM. Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard joined the movement in person this Thursday evening, and it wasn’t the first time Lillard felt compelled to bring attention to an unarmed black man being improperly restrained by police officers to the point of dying shortly after.
Lillard was spotted wearing this “I can’t breathe” shirt, and while you might think it’s a nice job by someone with a copy of Photoshop, it actually took place during warm ups in 2014 following the death of Eric Garner, a man who died in eerily similar circumstances as George Floyd. One drastic difference – Garner’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, yet no charges were filed against any officers involved, and only one was terminated by the NYPD – some five years later in 2019. Lillard’s involvement in asking for justice for Eric Garner was covered nicely by Gaz at BlazersEdge here.
Image courtesy Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Fast forward nearly six years (the above photograph was taken in July of 2014) Lillard was spotted among the crowd in Portland on Thursday evening, marching with arms linked with fellow supporters of the BLM movement. This time, Lillard was wearing a shirt honoring the late Malcolm X, a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. You can check out a very nice write up of Lillard’s involvement by Willamette Week’s Matthew Singer and Nigel Jaquiss here.
Image courtesy Doug Brown, ACLU of Oregon
Lillard is involved, many more professional athletes and celebrities are getting involved, and what began as a beacon for hope for a better and safer future in Minnesota, is now spreading a clear message across the world, and rightfully so. Black Lives Matter – yes they do. You might be asking how you can get involved? Well that’s simple.
The easiest way is to click this link, donate directly to BLM, and while you’re there make sure to read up and learn more about who they are and what their goals are.
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019
If you’re all about being in the moment of the movement, you can join the BLM supporters in person – just about anywhere. Bring your own mask, a homemade sign, and of course comfortable shoes and something to keep you energized and hydrated.
For those of you wanting to make a contribution, this is a good place to start looking for which funds you want to support the most, and keep in mind that if you don’t have much to donate now, there are always options for recurring small donations. Every little bit helps.
https://www.thecut.com/article/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-where-to-donate.html
And for those that are already involved in person or making donations, or both – thank you for your efforts. Keep making the world a safer and better place. Keep sharing the message, keep the movement moving. Black Lives Matter.
“Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
