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Donovan Mitchell wears bulletproof vest to first bubble game

Jazz star Donovan Mitchell

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 23: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz warms up before the game on July 23, 2020 at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBAE via Getty Images

Jazz, Pelicans, Lakers and Clippers players kneeled during the national anthem last night. Though that protest – against racism, particularly through police brutality – remains powerful, it has lost some resonance in the years since Colin Kaepernick first did it. People have normalized seeing it, and the most effective peaceful protests spark more of a visceral reaction.

So, Jazz star Donovan Mitchell found a new way to capture attention – wearing a bulletproof vest (covered in names of people killed by police) to his game.

Jeremy Christopher:

Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report:

Mitchell:

There was a quote that really said “Am I next?” on the back of somebody’s jersey. And I think the biggest thing is, it doesn’t matter how much money or it doesn’t matter how famous you are. As an African-American male, that’s who we are. It doesn’t matter what your job is, what your name is. And I think being able to wear a bulletproof vest just shows – and I kind of had my hands up as well, just kind of like look, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” We’re tired of seeing this. We’re tired. We’re tired, and everybody’s tired of it. So for me, to make that statement, I think was just something I really wanted to do. And I think as African Americans, male or female, we’re sick and tired of being afraid.

What a remarkable image – Mitchell arriving to work, listening to headphones, carrying a cup of coffee… and wearing a bulletproof vest.

Black men face a 1 in 1,000 chance of being killed by police during their lifetimes, according to a recent study. That is an incredibly high number! Many more black men have stories of being harassed by police, fearing they’ll be the next statistic.

There are numerous reasons for the problem – from overly intrusive laws to actions of individual police officers and many factors in between. They all should be addressed. First, Americans must recognize the scope of the problem.

Mitchell certainly used his platform well to raise attention to the issue.