Thomas Davis, a popular athlete in this city, took his place behind the lectern here Thursday and stood up for Charlotte.
“It is a struggle for me right now,” the longtime Panthers linebacker told reporters, “I know the city of Charlotte. I know this community. I know what we saw on the TV is not us.”
It was a sad, somber, surreal day in the Uptown area on Thursday, after protests became destructive and angered even those who want police accountability for the shooting deaths of African-Americans like Keith Lamont Scott, who was killed Tuesday here in town. The center of the city is a lively gathering place on football Sundays, when fans eat and drink and march to the stadium. On Thursday it was mostly quiet, somewhat empty, while construction workers drilled plywood over broken windows and pastors prayed with passersby. Hotels where fans usually stay for games were damaged, as was the Hornets’ team store and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Souvenir shop damaged in Charlotte last night now boarded up. Some pastors and police (along with press) here. pic.twitter.com/yNMV4ZMSIm— Eric Adelson (@eric_adelson) September 22, 2016
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen told the Charlotte Observer he pulled his kids out of school out of worry about more violence. The worry was palpable, as stores closed early and strangers said, “Be safe” to each other on the streets. A state of emergency continued throughout the afternoon and into the evening. There is uncertainty about whether the Panthers game will go on as scheduled Sunday, though the team and the league intend to go forward.
While city officials worried and prepared for what was to come, Davis spoke openly about the difficult conversations he has had with his children. And in doing so, he spoke to a lot of people who are upset and confused.
“One of the things that I had to do yesterday as a parent,” he said, “I had to go home and talk to my boys who watched the news and had seen what’s going on and explain to them that not all cops are bad cops. You know, just like cops have to realize that not all African-American males are hoodlums or guys that are going out there deliberately getting in trouble.”
This is the kind of conversation going on in African-American homes all over the nation right now. It’s not an easy one to have, and it’s not an easy one to speak about publicly like Davis did Thursday.
What happened to Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old man, in Tulsa, Okla., makes the message to his children harder to deliver. Crutcher was shot and killed despite having his hands up in a video. (Later on Thursday, an officer named Betty Shelby was charged with first-degree manslaughter.)
“From what we can see, he was doing everything he was asked, and he still loses his life,” Davis said. “You find it hard to explain to the kids.”
He concluded the thought with this advice:
“Listen, do what’s asked of you, and we gotta hope nothing bad comes from the situation.”
There aren’t many cities in America where sports and civics are so intertwined as they are here. The NASCAR Hall of Fame was one of the crowning achievements of embattled governor Pat McCrory when he was mayor. The Hornets and Panthers both play within walking distance of the Hall, and while many professional athletes in other cities choose gated communities in the suburbs, it’s not at all rare to see a Panthers player commuting to work in the very area where violence erupted this week. Both Cam Newton and Michael Jordan live in this area.
On a day like Thursday – a tense and worrisome day – that’s an important thing. Many of the Panthers are invested in what happens here. One of Davis’ first comments on Thursday was how he chose Charlotte because of the low crime rate.
“We can get out in our community,” he said. “We can connect with the police officers and really try to bridge the gap and create an ongoing relationship to try to promote change.
“Our voices speak loud, especially within our own communities. It’s important for us right now at this time, with everything that’s going on, to deliver the message that this is not the way. We understand there are a lot of people struggling. I’m one of the people struggling but I understand there’s a different way of going about it and getting the message out.”
Davis wasn’t the only local sports celebrity to communicate on Thursday. Jordan released a statement expressing his condolences to the Scott family and calling for an end to the violence:
“In light of the tragic events of the past three days, it is more important than ever that we restore calm and come together, as a community, in peaceful demonstration and conversation, and in constructive and non-violent ways.”
Davis’ comments went further than Jordan’s. He called for the video of the Scott killing to be made public – something the police have said they would not do – as a means of badly needed transparency.
“People are starting to feel they can’t trust the police,” Davis said, “and it shouldn’t be that way.”
Davis called for actions to restore trust, both on the part of the police and the part of the protesters. The fact that these pleas came from a trusted source is significant. Davis was measured, thoughtful and understanding. He pushed for peace without giving anyone a pass.
“Just seeing our players involved in the city, it’s brought unity to the city of Charlotte,” said Sanchez Fair, a local pastor.
The presence of sports figures in civic issues has been a hotly debated topic of late, since Colin Kapernick’s protest and even before. Some don’t like the intersection of sports and real life. On Thursday, that intersection was a necessary thing, and a healthy thing.
Charlotte is better off for it.
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