In a recent commemoration of Jackie Robinson Day by the Los Angeles Dodgers, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took the opportunity to voice his concerns about President Donald Trump's policies.
The event marked the 78th anniversary of Robinson's groundbreaking achievement of breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB). Abdul-Jabbar, a lifelong Brooklyn Dodgers fan, was among the key figures at the celebration.
During his speech, Abdul-Jabbar, known for his childhood loyalty to the Dodgers, shared anecdotes about his youthful encounters with New York Giants and Yankees fans. However, his address took a more serious tone when he criticized President Trump's intention to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. "I think its just a ruse to discriminate," Abdul-Jabbar told the audience, as reported by The New York Times.
He added, "So, Im glad that we do things like this, to let everybody in the country know whats important. They also tried to get rid of Harriet Tubman. But that didnt work. There was just uproar about that. But you have to take that into consideration when we think about whats going on today."
According to Fox News, President Trump issued an executive order last month to terminate DEI offices, positions, and programs within the federal government. The order also ended equity-related grants and contracts. The White House released a "fact sheet" explaining that the executive order aimed at "restoring the values of individual dignity, hard work, and excellence." The document further stated, "President Trump believes that hiring in all parts of government should be based solely on merit."
However, the executive order led to the removal of DEI-related content from various websites, including the Department of Defense website that highlighted Robinsons military service. Abdul-Jabbar also mentioned Harriet Tubman, whose page with the National Park Service had to be restored, just like Robinsons with the Department of Defense.
The Department of Defense issued a statement explaining that a group was instructed to flag any pages considered DEI content. Due to the tight timeline, human error played a role, leading to mistakes such as the flagging of Robinsons article.
"Over the past few weeks, we've taken action to identify and archive DEI content from our websites and social media platforms," Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, said in a statement last month. He added, "Without question, this task was an arduous but incredibly important undertaking."
Abdul-Jabbar argued that the issues Robinson confronted in baseball are still prevalent today. "Jackie had an idea of what we had to confront," Abdul-Jabbar said. "We had to confront segregation. And, in many ways, were still confronting it. But its worth it. And it certainly makes people respect us as a country when they see that there is some tension there, and good people are trying to do the right thing."
The Dodgers faced criticism for their decision to visit Trump at the White House to celebrate their 2024 World Series victory. Manager Dave Roberts defended the team's decision, saying, "I dont personally view it as talking out of both sides of our mouth," he said. "I understand how people feel that way.
But I do think that supporting our country, staying unified, aligned, is what I believe in personally. I just believe in doing things the right way, and I think people are going to have their opinions on what we did last week."
Roberts also addressed questions about Robinson, DEI, and more before facing the Colorado Rockies Tuesday. "This country needs a wake-up call," Roberts said. "I kind of touched on it a little bit (during the remembrance). This is not a one-day situation. Its Jackie Robinsons day for breaking the color barrier, but this is like an everyday sort of mindset, appreciation."
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