Steve Kerr: Whites need to try to ‘walk in a Black person’s shoes’

As protesting Americans continue to call out racial injustice, Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes monumental change can’t happen unless he and other white citizens make an effort to empathize with their African American neighbors.

“Nobody who’s a white person in this country can possibly put ourselves in a Black person’s shoes,” Kerr says during an interview on tonight’s special edition of “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” (10 p.m. June 23, HBO). “But it’s imperative that we at least try. And one of the things we have to do is learn the real history of the African American experience and why what happened 400 years ago still impacts the lives of African Americans today.”

Kerr is one of 35 prominent athletes, coaches, broadcasters, activists and writers who joined Gumbel for a spirited dialogue that examines how systemic racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged to create an unprecedented moment in sports. All 35 interviews were done virtually by Gumbel over a two-day period last week.

The Warriors coach claims he believes that real change can come from Black Lives Movement — mainly because of the youthful energy involved.

“The reason I’m optimistic is because the younger generation is more connected,” he says. “They are more aware. And really they have access to more information than the generations before them. So I really believe in that younger generation. But as (Clippers coach) Doc Rivers told me the other day, they need to prove it in November.”

Some of Gumbel’s other guests include Hank Aaron, Candace Parker, Billie Jean King, Mark Cuban, Chris Conley, former Warrior Stephen Jackson, Bay Area civil rights activist Harry Edwards and car racer Bubba Wallace, who has made headlines lately for strongly backing NASCAR’s decision to ban Confederate flags from its events.

“To some, (the flag) means heritage,” Wallace tells Gumbel. “To most, it means hate, and it comes from a very negative time and place in this world that we’re desperately trying to get away from.”

Also interviewed during the 32-minute segment is San Jose Sharks star Evander Kane, one of the few Black players in the NHL. Gumbel asked Kane what it was like to come up through the small rural communities of hockey’s minor league system.

“Imagine if you were white and you walked into a dressing room full of 20 black guys — how different it would feel,” he says. “That’s what I’ve done pretty much all my life.”