NFL
By: Zachary Draves
The NBA has a long history of social activism and they are continuing that tradition through the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition.
The group was formed in 2020 after the infamous acts of racial injustice that summer and is composed of players, owners, and staff working on social and political issues.
The coalition is now teaming up with Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) to ensure the passage of the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act otherwise known as the Equal Act.
If passed by Congress, this critical piece of legislation would completely eliminate the sentencing disparities for crack and powder cocaine offenses that have historically been racially biased.
According to FAMM:
“Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are two forms of the same drug. Despite this, under federal law we impose the same harsh penalties for the possession of one amount of crack cocaine and an amount of powder cocaine that is 18 times larger. This makes it much easier to trigger a mandatory minimum for sale of crack cocaine than if the same offense were committed with powder cocaine.”
The NBA knows all too well the effects of these disparities going back to 1986.
At the height of the War on Drugs, Boston Celtics draft pick and University of Maryland standout Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose that spurred the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act that seemed well intentioned but actually contributed to the explosion in America’s prison population that had a detrimental effect on black and brown communities.
Now with greater understanding of the effects on these laws and ever evolving sense of how to treat drug issues, the NBA is looking to do their part which adds a particular layer of significance.
“High profile athletes in sport help to raise awareness of the issue and bring attention to it” said Molly Gill, FAMM’s Vice President of Policy.
“They attract lawmakers’ interest because lawmakers are fans of basketball just like the rest of us. I think it is helpful to have those voices raising the profile of this issue.”
As of right now the bill passed the House in September 2021 and currently has 56 co-sponsors from both parties. Representatives from the NBA, FAMM, and other organizations have been meeting regularly with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to get the bill across the finish line.
The hope is that by the NBA’s involvement, the legislative process will speed up and the Equal Act becomes law because in the end, life and lives are much more precious than shutting up and dribbling.
