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1st June 2017
08:44am BST

"As I sit here on the eve of one of the greatest sporting events we have, race and what is going on comes again. "On my behalf, family's behalf, I look at this as if this sheds a light and keeps the conversation going. My family is safe, that's most important. "Just shows that racism will always be a part of the world, part of America. Hate in America, especially for African-Americans, is living every day. It is hidden most days. It is alive every single day. I think back to Emmett Till's mom and the reason she had an open casket, she wanted to show the world what her son went through in terms of a hate crime in America. No matter how much money you have, how famous you are, how much people admire you, being black in America is tough." "We got a long way to go, for us as a society and for us as African-Americans until we feel equal in America."https://twitter.com/ABC/status/870044093098860544 James' reference to Emmet Till is one that will resonate with the African-American community, Till became a symbol of the Civil Rights movement in America when he was brutally beaten to death back in 1955. The 14-year-olds mother wanted an example to be made of what happened and held an open-casket funeral for her son. The former Miami Heat player is a three-time NBA Champion and a four-time MVP.
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