Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
The Knicks, Rangers and Madison Square Garden hosted a youth symposium on Thursday to celebrate Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States.
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas to deliver news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved people were free.
In the wake of protests following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, several companies -- including several pro sports teams -- have recognized Juneteenth by naming it a permanent company holiday.
According to the Washington Post, the NBA is inviting all league and team employees to a virtual advance screening of the John Lewis documentary "Good Trouble" on Friday in honor of Juneteenth.
The Garden symposium on Thursday was moderated by Knicks executive and longtime player Allan Houston and featured Knicks general manager Scott Perry, Rangers alumni Anson Carter, New York State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, and Heidi Browning, the chief marketing officer of the NHL.
The symposium focused on the role sports plays to bring people together, "resolve conflicts, and educate," and included youth coaches, parents and children.
Perry said during the symposium that he hoped the movement would sustain and result in tangible change.
"Let's not allow this to be just a moment in time,'' Perry said, per the New York Post. "I've been around long enough to know that things that have happened in our history before - there's a temporary outrage, and then boom, things are back to normal. Don't allow this to be that time. This is a call of duty to action for all young people."
Some NBA players, including New York's Dennis Smith Jr., have joined protests in the wake of Floyd's killing. Houston also has joined in protests.
Some players are weary of participating in the restart of the NBA season out of fear that it would take attention away from the movement against racial injustice.
Speaking generally, Perry said he hoped their ideas eventually lead to change in a way that impacts the community around them.
"I think their words have to be followed by corresponding appropriate action,'' Perry said, per the New York Daily News.
"The impact that words and actions of an athlete can have, not only for the people in their presence, but the millions watching them on television or on their cell phones and latched onto every word, action and emotion that these guys and gals share. And so I think really being in tuned to that, understanding that responsibility, and continuing to reach out to their communities in the way they best see themselves best impact the community.
"Not everybody may be built to protest, but guys may be built in other ways to support minority businesses or help mentor youth in their community. So there are a number of different ways that an athlete in today's era can really impact his local community. And the more you help your local community, it spreads. I've always been a believer that if I can help improve at least one life, that one life may lead to improvement in 10, 100, 1,000. You never know. And so we just have to all take that approach."
Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan, who owns the Knicks and Rangers, received criticism from the media, including former NBA players in the media, for his decision to not release a statement following the death of Floyd.
Dolan explained the decision in two internal emails, and Madison Square Garden released a statement two weeks after Floyd's death, on the day of his funeral.