Former athletes talk social justice, empowerment at Grizzlies' MLK Day symposium
The Memphis Grizzlies hosted their annual MLK Day symposium on Monday, honoring a quartet of sports stars who have also excelled in the community.
The Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium honored former NBA star Alex English, former NFL running back Calvin Hill, WNBA champion Renee Montgomery and baseball great Ozzie Smith. The four spoke during a panel discussion moderated by Grizzlies play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica. The discussion ranged from Martin Luther King Jr's legacy, the current push for social justice and what the honorees have done with their post-playing careers to empower people and champion important causes.
English, 70, talked about his childhood in South Carolina, saying he looked up to his grandmother and realized the impact King had on the country after his assassination in Memphis in 1968.
“I think when he was assassinated was the time that we realized and understood that this was a very important person in our world," said English, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "And that’s when I took it upon myself to learn more about Dr. King and his life.”
Pranica asked the panelists what King would be focused on in the world if he were still alive in 2024.
Hill, 77, responded by invoking King's final speech, where he famously said, "I've been to the mountaintop" during a speech in Memphis.
“I think he would be optimistic," Hill said. "He knew where he was going, and he knew the ultimate destination. He would still be working to get there, and he would be working very hard. He’d get frustrated from a human standpoint, but his goal was a goal that he could see.”
The panelists also talked about their personal goals and projects. Montgomery is a part-owner of the Atlanta Dream and the founder of the Renee Montgomery Foundation, which helps advocate for social justice. She talked about the importance of athletes working on their branding both on and off the court.
“I think of players like an A’Ja Wilson in the WNBA, where she’s the best at both sides of it, on and off the court," the 37-year-old Montgomery said. "On the court, she’s a two-time defensive player of the year, she’s an MVP, she’s all the things, just won a championship, but then when you look at her do interviews, when you look at how she handles her brand, she has a book coming out, she’s doing both. And that is the goal. Get you both the bags, is what I would say.”
Smith, 69, talked about his work as president of the PGA REACH Gateway Foundation, which creates mentoring and golf programs for inner city youth and military members.
“I want to be proud of the community in which I live," said Smith, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and one of the games greatest shortstops. "And if I’m going to be proud of the community in which I live, I’ve got to be a part of what the solution is. And so, it’s very easy to sit back and say, ‘well, you know, that’s a problem over here, a problem over there. You’ve got to figure out how you can be part of the solution.”
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Former athletes talk social justice at Grizzlies' MLK Day symposium
