Synopses & Reviews
An NBA veteran offers engaging interviews and reflections that explore police brutality, white supremacy, and the struggle for racial justice in America.
"[B]efore Kaepernick, there was Etan Thomas."
— New York Times
Etan Thomas, an eleven-year NBA veteran, weaves together his personal experiences with police violence and white supremacy with multiple interviews of family members of victims of police brutality like exonerated Central Park Five survivor Raymond Santana and Rodney King's daughter Lora Dene King; as well as activist athletes and other public figures such as Steph Curry, Chuck D, Isiah Thomas, Sue Bird, Jake Tapper, Jemele Hill, Stan Van Gundy, Kyle Korver, Mark Cuban, Rick Strom, and many more.
Thomas speaks with retired police officers about their efforts to change policing, and white allies about their experiences with privilege and their ability to influence other white people. Thomas also examines the history of racism, white supremacy, and the prevalence of both in the current moment. He looks at the origins of white supremacy in the US, dating back to the country's inception, and explores how it was interwoven into Christianity — interviewing leading voices both in and outside of the church. Finally, with prominent voices in the media and education, Thomas discusses the continued cultivation of these injustices in American society.
Police Brutality and White Supremacy demands accountability and justice for those responsible for and impacted by police violence and terror. The book offers practical solutions for racist policing and methods of working against the promotion of white supremacy, stressing the importance of white allyship, as well as combating racism within the Christian community.
Review
"My family and I are extremely grateful for the support and love from my brother in the movement, Etan Thomas." Emerald Garner, daughter of Eric Garner
Review
"I'm extremely grateful to Etan for continuing to shine a light on how police violence has harmed families across the nation. Our stories matter." Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, twin sister of Terence Crutcher
Video
Watch the Powell’s virtual event with Etan Thomas and Dave Zirin!
About the Author
Etan Thomas, a former eleven-year NBA player, was born in Harlem and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has published multiple books including: We Matter: Athletes and Activism (voted a top ten best activism book of all time by BookAuthority), More than an Athlete, Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge, and Voices of the Future. Thomas was honored for social justice advocacy as the recipient of the 2010 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award, as well as the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation Legacy Award. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, CNN, and ESPN. He can be frequently seen on MSNBC as a special correspondent and he cohosts a weekly radio show, The Collision, on WPFW in Washington, DC, about the place where sports and politics collide.