Rockets star James Harden wore a Thin Blue Line flag mask, which – depending your perspective – can symbolize supporting police and/or oppression through white supremacy.
What did Harden mean by it?
Ben DuBose of The Rockets Wire:
Harden on the mask: "Honestly, I wasn't trying to make a political statement. I just wore it because it covered my whole face, and my beard."
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 17, 2020
Harden on if he knew what the mask represented: "No. I just felt like it was something that covered my whole face, and the beard. I thought it looked cool, that was it."
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 17, 2020
Harden explained that many masks are problematic for him due to his beard.
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 17, 2020
I’m glad Harden clarified.
His explanation is totally reasonable. It’s unreasonable to expect everyone to be fully versed in an ever-expanding set of political symbols. People can easily inadvertently amplify one of those symbols without understanding the context.
When that happens, there’s an easy solution: Explain what you meant. Harden did that and did it quickly. That should make it easy for everyone to move on.
