1 00:00:02,266 --> 00:00:05,666 JUDY WOODRUFF: Finally tonight, a former professional athlete takes on color divisions in sport. 2 00:00:07,666 --> 00:00:09,766 Jeffrey Brown has our look from New York as part of our Race Matters series. 3 00:00:09,766 --> 00:00:14,766 JEFFREY BROWN: A beautiful late summer day on the grounds of the U.S. Open at Flushing 4 00:00:16,766 --> 00:00:19,800 Meadows, New York, tennis' biggest stage in this country, the kind of day that can stir 5 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:22,433 memories. 6 00:00:22,433 --> 00:00:23,233 JAMES BLAKE, Former Professional Tennis Player: This place is so special to me because I was 7 00:00:23,233 --> 00:00:25,766 a fan here first. 8 00:00:25,766 --> 00:00:28,933 JEFFREY BROWN: James Blake was born in Yonkers to an African-American father and white British 9 00:00:28,933 --> 00:00:31,000 mother. 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,933 He started playing tennis at 5, alongside his brother Thomas, who also became a professional 11 00:00:35,433 --> 00:00:37,466 player. 12 00:00:37,466 --> 00:00:39,433 JAMES BLAKE: I grew up an hour from here, was born less than 30 minutes from here. 13 00:00:39,433 --> 00:00:40,766 I was getting autographs of the qualifiers. 14 00:00:40,766 --> 00:00:42,000 JEFFREY BROWN: You did as a kid? 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,000 JAMES BLAKE: Yes. 16 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,666 I snuck in. 17 00:00:44,666 --> 00:00:45,900 JEFFREY BROWN: They haven't come after you to get the payment yet? 18 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:47,466 JAMES BLAKE: They haven't come after me. 19 00:00:47,466 --> 00:00:49,500 I think I still owe them about $20 or $30 from back tickets. 20 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:54,133 JEFFREY BROWN: Blake more than repaid the sport, becoming a top American star, known 21 00:00:55,033 --> 00:00:57,066 for his speed and his power. 22 00:00:57,066 --> 00:01:01,633 He climbed to the world number four ranking in 2006, and retired in 2013 after a 14-year 23 00:01:03,866 --> 00:01:05,900 career. 24 00:01:05,900 --> 00:01:09,600 Two years later, awaiting a ride from his Manhattan hotel to be a commentator at the 25 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:14,300 U.S. Open, Blake was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and arrested by a plainclothes 26 00:01:14,300 --> 00:01:16,266 New York City police officer. 27 00:01:16,266 --> 00:01:20,933 It was caught on a surveillance camera, a case of mistaken identity, for which the New 28 00:01:20,933 --> 00:01:23,533 York police commissioner publicly apologized. 29 00:01:23,533 --> 00:01:26,366 WILLIAM BRATTON, New York City Police Commissioner: My apologies for the incident which he found 30 00:01:26,366 --> 00:01:28,433 himself involved in. 31 00:01:28,433 --> 00:01:32,100 JEFFREY BROWN: But one that drew national headlines and charges of excessive force and 32 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:33,333 racial profiling. 33 00:01:33,333 --> 00:01:34,766 JAMES BLAKE: They have got you cuffed. 34 00:01:34,766 --> 00:01:36,300 You don't know what's going on. 35 00:01:36,300 --> 00:01:38,433 I know I had done nothing wrong. 36 00:01:38,433 --> 00:01:43,433 But while that's going on, you just feel so weak and ineffective, because they are totally 37 00:01:44,333 --> 00:01:45,466 in control of the situation. 38 00:01:45,466 --> 00:01:46,700 And they know that. 39 00:01:46,700 --> 00:01:49,100 And some of them handle that situation well. 40 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:50,700 Some don't. 41 00:01:50,700 --> 00:01:52,700 And the officer that handled this case wasn't handling it well. 42 00:01:52,700 --> 00:01:56,133 JEFFREY BROWN: I assume that you had never experienced anything like that? 43 00:01:56,133 --> 00:01:57,200 JAMES BLAKE: Not to that extent. 44 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,366 JEFFREY BROWN: Yes. 45 00:01:59,366 --> 00:02:01,466 JAMES BLAKE: I mean, I think almost every person of color at some point in their life 46 00:02:01,466 --> 00:02:05,733 has been profiled, whether it be walking into a store or driving your car and you're pulled 47 00:02:07,666 --> 00:02:09,733 over for no reason or anything to that extent. 48 00:02:09,733 --> 00:02:14,466 So, I have had instances like that, but never physical -- physical violence like this. 49 00:02:14,466 --> 00:02:19,433 JEFFREY BROWN: The incident caused Blake to rethink his own role as a citizen-athlete. 50 00:02:19,433 --> 00:02:24,400 He began to speak out about cases of police misconduct, and now has a new book about the 51 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:29,400 efforts work of other athletes, "Ways of Grace: Stories of Activism, Adversity, and How Sports 52 00:02:30,700 --> 00:02:32,633 Can Bring Us Together." 53 00:02:32,633 --> 00:02:34,666 JAMES BLAKE: I want to see some positive headlines about athletes. 54 00:02:34,666 --> 00:02:38,500 And that's what I try to in this book and show that there are athletes that have a social 55 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:42,366 conscience, that aren't just there for the three hours that you watch them on TV. 56 00:02:42,366 --> 00:02:44,400 They have lives. 57 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,433 They have things that are important and that they are passionate about. 58 00:02:46,433 --> 00:02:50,633 I think so many people focus on LeBron James, was he selfish to go to Miami, was he selfish 59 00:02:51,133 --> 00:02:51,966 here? 60 00:02:51,966 --> 00:02:54,133 Well, you know what? 61 00:02:54,133 --> 00:02:57,300 The guy donated $40 million to education in Akron, in his community, realizing that education 62 00:02:57,300 --> 00:02:59,633 is one of the biggest barriers for income disparity. 63 00:02:59,633 --> 00:03:04,633 JEFFREY BROWN: Blake writes of many athletes, including from his own sport, lesser-knowns 64 00:03:07,066 --> 00:03:09,866 such as Amir Hadad and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, an Israeli Jew and Pakistani Muslim, who played 65 00:03:11,700 --> 00:03:16,433 doubles together at Wimbledon in 2002 and beyond, in the face of opposition. 66 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:22,566 And more famous names, Arthur Ashe, who spoke out about apartheid and championed civil rights, 67 00:03:24,466 --> 00:03:27,833 as well as support for those with HIV/AIDS, which he himself battled. 68 00:03:27,833 --> 00:03:32,833 And Billie Jean King, who has accomplished so much for gender equality and social justice 69 00:03:33,566 --> 00:03:36,166 in tennis and beyond. 70 00:03:36,166 --> 00:03:39,500 And he writes with sympathy for the most controversial figure today, former San Francisco 49er quarterback 71 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:46,233 Colin Kaepernick, who publicly took a knee during the national anthem before games last 72 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,500 year to protest police brutality. 73 00:03:49,500 --> 00:03:53,400 He's is now out of football, and Blake and others believe it's because of his public 74 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,000 stance. 75 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,033 JAMES BLAKE: People are criticizing him, saying, oh, he makes $15 million, he should just shut 76 00:03:58,033 --> 00:04:00,600 up and play. 77 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,200 And I just always have hated that narrative, because it doesn't matter the amount of money 78 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,333 that's being paid. 79 00:04:04,333 --> 00:04:06,733 You still shouldn't be able to control someone, because then it's just a matter of saying, 80 00:04:06,733 --> 00:04:11,733 at what stage are you selling your whole soul, you're selling all your beliefs for a certain 81 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,333 amount of money? 82 00:04:14,333 --> 00:04:16,466 And I think Colin Kaepernick is showing that he's not for sale. 83 00:04:16,466 --> 00:04:21,466 JEFFREY BROWN: But do you understand fans who would say, look, I love and support you, 84 00:04:23,466 --> 00:04:26,566 Colin Kaepernick, or athlete XYZ, for what you do on the field, but that's what you're 85 00:04:27,566 --> 00:04:28,566 supposed to do, right? 86 00:04:28,566 --> 00:04:29,566 JAMES BLAKE: Right. 87 00:04:29,566 --> 00:04:30,566 JEFFREY BROWN: That's your job. 88 00:04:30,566 --> 00:04:31,566 JAMES BLAKE: Yes. 89 00:04:31,566 --> 00:04:33,000 Yes, and I... 90 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:33,800 JEFFREY BROWN: Don't push your politics on me. 91 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,800 JAMES BLAKE: Yes. 92 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,066 Well, fans are absolutely within their right to not go to the games, to say, I'm not going 93 00:04:37,066 --> 00:04:39,100 to buy your jersey, to do anything like that. 94 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:43,233 But I don't think it's really fair to put that on him, because of what he's fighting 95 00:04:44,666 --> 00:04:46,333 for, as a lot of veterans have said, that's what we fought for. 96 00:04:46,333 --> 00:04:48,400 He has his freedom. 97 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,900 And people say, oh, well, you know what, we want sports just to get away from politics. 98 00:04:50,900 --> 00:04:52,933 We want it just to be an escape. 99 00:04:52,933 --> 00:04:56,200 Well, it can be an escape for when it's on the field and he's still doing his job on 100 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:57,733 the field. 101 00:04:57,733 --> 00:05:00,533 But when he's not forced to be on the field, it's up to him. 102 00:05:00,533 --> 00:05:02,566 It's his right. 103 00:05:02,566 --> 00:05:05,500 And it's his freedom of speech that he can say and do what he wants, especially since 104 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:07,966 it's peaceful. 105 00:05:07,966 --> 00:05:10,400 JEFFREY BROWN: Do you think there's more responsibility with the higher -- the higher profile you 106 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,433 are? 107 00:05:12,433 --> 00:05:16,133 Because you think about very famous stars of the past, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill 108 00:05:16,133 --> 00:05:18,133 Russell, people who spoke out. 109 00:05:18,133 --> 00:05:22,266 You think of Michael Jordan, who some people criticized him for not, right... 110 00:05:22,266 --> 00:05:24,266 JAMES BLAKE: Yes. 111 00:05:24,266 --> 00:05:25,766 JEFFREY BROWN: ... being more connected with the brands and the advertising. 112 00:05:25,766 --> 00:05:27,766 JAMES BLAKE: Well, again, I think it's individual. 113 00:05:27,766 --> 00:05:31,066 And I think it's -- we talk about in the book, with the fact that there was a little bit 114 00:05:31,066 --> 00:05:34,433 of an era where a lot of people weren't speaking out. 115 00:05:34,433 --> 00:05:38,066 Michael Jordan was in that era, where it was, you're going to protect your brand at all 116 00:05:38,066 --> 00:05:40,100 costs. 117 00:05:40,100 --> 00:05:42,666 So, I think a lot of people in that time were going to be silent, and they were just going 118 00:05:42,666 --> 00:05:44,166 to try to sell shoes. 119 00:05:44,166 --> 00:05:46,233 I don't fault them for that, but I feel like it's shifted. 120 00:05:46,233 --> 00:05:49,300 Now, especially with social media, people are going to speak out. 121 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:52,933 And I think, previous to that generation, there was the generation of Muhammad Ali. 122 00:05:52,933 --> 00:05:54,766 There was the civil rights movement. 123 00:05:54,766 --> 00:05:57,433 There were people that stood for a serious cause. 124 00:05:57,433 --> 00:06:01,066 And it seemed like people thought, athletes maybe thought, hey, we have got it good now. 125 00:06:01,066 --> 00:06:03,133 Let's not mess this up. 126 00:06:03,133 --> 00:06:07,066 JEFFREY BROWN: As for himself, Blake settled a lawsuit against the New York Police Department 127 00:06:08,500 --> 00:06:10,500 this summer, and got the city to fund a legal fellowship. 128 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:14,300 JAMES BLAKE: That was a good outcome, exploring cases of police misconduct. 129 00:06:14,300 --> 00:06:17,666 You have a fellow on staff for the next six years, two years at a time. 130 00:06:17,666 --> 00:06:21,266 So it will be three different ones straight out of law school to fight these kind of cases, 131 00:06:21,266 --> 00:06:24,666 because, last year, over 50 percent of them weren't seen to conclusion. 132 00:06:24,666 --> 00:06:29,666 So, now there's someone on staff to help them see these cases through to the end, get whatever 133 00:06:31,533 --> 00:06:33,700 payout, get whatever accountability is necessary for the police officers. 134 00:06:33,700 --> 00:06:34,700 It's a start. 135 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:36,766 It's not the end of the story. 136 00:06:36,766 --> 00:06:39,766 JEFFREY BROWN: For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jeffrey Brown in Flushing Meadows, New York.