Eddie George says support for Damar Hamlin shows power of Dr. King's dream of love, unity
If Dr. Martin Luther King were alive today, Eddie George would ask how the leader of the civil rights movement restrained himself while facing roadblocks and death threats during his life.
George used current events to highlight King’s message of equality and unity during an appearance at the Memphis Grizzlies' annual Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium on Monday. The former Tennessee Titans running back who is now the football coach at Tennessee State recalled how the nation was galvanized after Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a game on Jan. 2.
There’s still remnants of racism, George said, but when Hamlin was being treated on the field, everyone of different races and backgrounds stopped what they were doing to think about his struggle.
“You saw white men holding Black players, Black players holding white players’ hands and praying. That’s what it’s about. Praying for that man’s life,” George, 49, said at FedExForum. “So if we can have the empathy to look at or listen to somebody else’s story or appreciate where they come from or their perspective, and not have judgment, then we’ll move in the right direction.”
George was one of the event’s four speakers along with Luol Deng, Gary Payton and Nancy Liberman. Lieberman, 64, shared how her friendship with boxing legend and activist Muhammad Ali helped her learn more about King’s message as she became one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time.
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The 37-year-old Deng, who grew up in South Sudan in Africa and played 15 seasons in the NBA, said his father’s work as his country’s minister of irrigation and transportation exposed him at an early age to King’s fight for civil rights. Payton, who played 17 years in the NBA, had the dual education of learning about King from his parents in Oakland, California, but also growing up in the shadow of the Black Panther Party.
Payton, 54, said race relations and racism have improved since the protests launched from the death of George Floyd in 2020 and believes King would be pleased by the progress even though there’s more work to do.
“We got still a lot of things out there as negative but I know he’s up there smiling because he’s started something and he made something happen,” Payton said.
Both Payton and George said they hope to carry King’s legacy as coaches now focus on mentorship as much as winning. Lieberman’s charity work includes building basketball courts in various cities and in March, her charity will build a “Dream Court” in Memphis in partnership with the city and rapper NLE Choppa.
But it was George who had some of the event’s most poignant words. The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner said the way to heal from racism means remembering times that we’re united behind a similar cause and use that energy to be proactive with tough conversations and standing up for what’s right.
“We understand there’s an issue, there’s been issues. Are we willing to move forward in a harmonious way?” George asked.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Support for Bills' Damar Hamlin shows Dr. King's dream of love, unity
