A Long Hot Summer (A Character's Perspective) by Bob Krech

The first thing I thought about…when those black guys got shot by the cops at those traffic stops…and I’m not proud to admit it…but the first thing I thought about was, how is this going to affect the team?

We’ve already got black guys with us who aren’t necessarily crazy about white people and now this? Plus the guys outside the team at school who’ve never been happy with any white guys. And since it’s summer and we’re all in our own neighborhoods, and not really seeing each other or anything, it makes me wonder what’s everybody thinking? I mean, I know what people here in Greenville are thinking–– and it’s not good. We have plenty of cops living over here.

It’s over in Lincoln Park that I’m wondering about. What are Al and Winnie and all of them thinking?

The more mature or whatever part of me thinks that with what’s going on, I should be worried about the big picture. People protesting all over and now cops getting shot. Instead I keep thinking about us. Our team. Is it all gonna be normal when we get together to play summer league next week? Our nine black guys and six white guys. Is it going to do anything to us?

But maybe that’s what I should be worried about, because that’s where it’s all going to come home and not just be something on the news. That’s where maybe I can actually do something about it.

-Ray W. (from REBOUND)