![]() ![]() ![]() "There are so many people in and around communities of color, poor communities that are experiencing violence and crime, that don't have a voice. He was thankful for the Wizards and Mystics to help get the message out. Jordan spoke of the need for more preventative policies rather than mass incarceration and the focus on police response. ![]() After spending time in prison, he has become an agent for change in social justice reform. Jordan can speak firsthand to the need for rehabilitation and re-entry programs. ![]() It really starts with having these conversations and advocating to the policymakers in their own district of why we need to have mental health services, of why we need to have re-entry services in these communities," Thomas said. "We can all play a huge role in tackling this issue of gun violence. He came to that conclusion after speaking with four other men in his family who had survived shootings. Thomas dedicated his life to ending gun violence after realizing the lack of resources for victims and for preventative measures in the community. He was back home in between college and playing overseas when he was struck by two bullets. Thomas was a star basketball player himself before his career was ended by a shooting. ASJ officials Aswad Thomas and Jay Jordan moderated the discussion. Monumental Sports and Entertainment participated in the event in partnership with the NBA's recently formed Social Justice Coalition along with the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ). She then sat out the 2020 WNBA season to focus on creating change in that realm. I think it was at that moment I really understood the power of not only my platform individually, but our platform as Monumental," Cloud said.Ĭloud drew attention to the cause by not answering basketball questions after Mystics games, instead discussing the epidemic of gun violence. The librarian approached her and pleaded for help, noting there had been three bullets to enter the walls of the school just that month.Īccording to Cloud, the school was not being adequately supported by local authorities. She says it all began in 2019 when she did a book reading at Hendley Elementary School in Southeast D.C. We spread the word."Ĭloud has been a strong advocate in preventing gun violence for years now. "I said whatever is the next event, get me in there," he said. Wizards' 2023-24 regular season schedule announced Morris was just acquired by the Wizards in a trade from the Nuggets this summer, but jumped at the opportunity to participate in Monday's event. He regularly sees a therapist in part to deal with the trauma from those experiences. Morris went into the most detail, describing how the financial crisis of 2008 devastated his hometown of Flint, Michigan, leading to poverty and crime. Morris was also at a high school tournament in Detroit at 16 years old when a shooting outside the arena forced him and his teammates to hide on the floor of their bus. That impacts me more than anybody could ever imagine," Gill said.Įach of the athletes shared their own backstories and how they were affected by gun violence. "To hear the stories from the two women that lost their kids, I have three kids. is on pace to experience more homicides than the previous year for the fifth straight time. The Wizards and Mystics were there to show their support and to amplify voices in the local community calling for change and action as D.C. Gill stared in contemplative thought, his daughter and wife sitting nearby in the front row. The mothers, Sandra Gliss and Crystal McNeal, recalled in detail how the tragedies unfolded and the grief they still feel years later.Īs they spoke, Cloud and Morris bowed their heads in tears. mothers whose children were shot and killed in separate incidents. The panel began with heartbreaking accounts from two D.C. The microphone was passed from right to left, as everyone shared their own experiences with gun violence. Demonstration Center to participate in an hour-long roundtable on gun violence in D.C. WASHINGTON - Just a few blocks away from the Wizards and Mystics practice facility in Southeast Washington, Monte Morris, Anthony Gill and Natasha Cloud took their seats around the podium Monday night at the R.I.S.E. ![]()
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