In less than 24 hours of receiving the guilty verdict of Derrick Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd case, the black community faces yet another loss of black life at the hands of police authority. 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was fatally shot by Columbus Ohio police officer, Nicholas Reardon following an altercation at her residence.
Celebrities and social media users have been weighing in heavily on the topic as many hope that the system will continue to hold police accountable for murdering black lives. Professional NBA player, Lebron James has spoken up amid the controversy and penned a tweet on Twitter that raised a few eyebrows from the public. “YOU’RE NEXT [hourglass emoji] #ACCOUNTABILITY,” Lebron posted with a picture of Ma’Khia’s killer.
Many took Lebron’s tweet as a form of inciting violence, the NBA professional took down the post and explained his intentions behind his tweet. “ANGER does any of us any good and that includes myself!” he began. “Gathering all the facts and educating does though! My anger still is here for what happened that lil girl. My sympathy for her family and may justice prevail!”
“I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate,” he continued. “This isn’t about one officer. it’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”
Candace Owens chimed in on the conversation regarding James’ tweet, with a tweet of her own. “If America was a country that believed in justice, Lebron James would be stripped of all of his sponsorships,” she stated.
“LeBron James doxes police officer who saved a teenage girl from being stabbed to death, demands officer be held accountable, sets new record for athlete stupidity,” someone else comments.
While many are using the moment as an attempt to tarnish the athlete’s character, it is clear that the meaning behind the athletes’ original post has been misconstrued.
