Claressa Shields has posited herself as a role model in the realm of sports at large. Her journey from the debut Franchon Crews Dezurn fight in 2016 till today remains a matter of resilience in itself. With each stride she takes in the combat realm, she sends ripples through it. She has represented black communities and is trailblazing for them at a global platform. In one such effort, she recently took to her social media educating her fellow black ‘brothers’ about the harsh reality of pursuing a career in basketball.

Reports suggest that the National Basketball Association (NBA) has one of the highest representations of African-American men. The numbers are promising enough to suggest ample representation of Black folks in the sport. However, there have been debates about how difficult it is for them to get to that position. Chiming in this discourse, Shields shared a video of Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu. He is a writer and educator who has dedicated his body of work to highlighting the ills affecting black culture in the US. Through the video, Shields noted how black men are losing out on career opportunities as they press over a career in the NBA.

“Listen to the full video”: Claressa Shields highlights the path to NBA

An advocate for Black rights in the US, and the world at large, GWOAT took to her Instagram stories in pursuit to inform her 792k large follower base of how being inclined towards a career in the NBA might be ruining chances of Black men in other possible career avenues. In the video shared by her, “Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys,” author, Kunjufu spoke vividly about how hundreds of thousands of black boys want to pursue a career in the NBA. However, from these “400,000” in school to the court, these numbers are massively reduced to a mere 7.

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These kids devote almost their entire lives to training for the sport. However, when the time to be successful in it dawns, only a handful can reach the ranks. The tough competition and limited opportunities keep thousands of black boys on the margins. In contrast to the NBA, are the fields like computer science, academia, and medical sciences. These fields hold ample opportunities that go amiss.

Imploring his fellow black brothers to leverage more career opportunities, the author said, “So the real problem is we have a million brothers, looking for 7 full-time jobs that last 4 years. And yet last year, we had 100,000 jobs available to be a computer programmer, engineer, or doctor; and only 1000 brothers qualified. So I appeal to black males is to realize the odds that you do most will be that you do best.”

“That you do most, with that you do best,” emphasized Kunjufu. He further elucidated that no matter what career path one chooses, determination to practice it propels them toward success. However, he did elaborate that it is necessary to weigh their options before fixing their goals. He said, “If you play basketball from 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock, you’ll be a very good basketball player. If you went home and went to the library you’d be a very good scholar. We need more black male role models that will encourage our youth in math and science.”

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There are calls to establish and maintain an equal society for the black community in the country. Further to this, there is an increasing need to ensure representation of them in all spheres. Through this conversation, both Shields and Kunjufu have called for the same in the field of sports. It is in these efforts do we see a viable future for the community where success is accessible to them.

What do you think of Kunjufu’s call to action? Let us know in the comments section below.

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