One of the NFL’s loudest social justice activists and national anthem protesters, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is celebrating the publication of a new book, pointedly titled: “Things that Make White People Uncomfortable.”
The book is set to hit shelves in April and will be published by Haymarket Books, the News Tribune reported.
Dave Zirin sports editor for the leftist magazine The Nation, and co-author of Bennett’s book, insisted that Bennett is “an outspoken proponent for social justice and a man without a censor.”
Bennett is apparently proud of his a long pedigree of “trying to make white people uncomfortable.” He was one of the National Football League’s most persistent protesters against the country during the playing of the national anthem and protested throughout the season even as most others stopped their demonstrations. He has also spent much time, money, and effort pushing social justice causes. He even accused the Las Vegas Police Department of racism despite a thorough lack of any proof to substantiate his accusations.
The Seahawks player seemed to deny that the title was a hate-filled attempt to attack whites. “I think the title is a just a title to start a conversation so people want to read. I think the book I’m focusing on is issues that I see that are important in America, and that are my view,” Bennett said.
The book is said to mine quotes from several sportsmen, including John Carlos, the Olympic medalist who along with Tommie Smith raised a militant black power fist during the 1968 Olympics.
“This book doesn’t only explain the roots of Michael Bennett’s courage,” Carlos says in a blurb provided for the book. “It will inspire the people who read it to conquer their fears and fight for what’s right.”
“This is my story, this is my journey, my thoughts on sports, my thoughts on issues in America, my thoughts on women’s equality – different issues like that,” Bennett added. “I think when people think about writers as an athlete, they think about you writing a story about your sports journey, but mine is more of a reflection of America and its past and its time.”
The Seahawks nominated Bennett for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for the 2017 season despite his unproven accusations of racism lodged against the Las Vegas Police. Video released by the department tends to argue against the player’s claim that he was roughed up by police during a chaotic hunt for a reportedly armed man inside a Vegas casino in August.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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