Etan Thomas

Etan Thomas

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Etan Thomas is More Than An Athlete. He's been called a "gentle giant". A "rebounder with a cause". Now the world can add published author to that list! With the release of his first collection of poems, Thomas defies the stereotype of the A-political athlete, and plants his roots in his budding literary career. With the conviction of a Bill Russell, and the poetic finesse of Muhammad Ali, Thomas takes on controversial topics, such as, The Death Penalty, the GOP, racism and abortion.

Born in Harlem and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Thomas' childhood was surrounded by books on the civil rights movement, politics and the 1960's. He was greatly influenced by his mother, Deborah Thomas, a schoolteacher who traveled with Thomas and his younger brother back home to Harlem every summer, attending plays and poetry readings.

This young, fiery poet approaches his work fearlessly,writing in the strong, historical lineage of his literary elders, Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez, and in the tradition of contemporary poets, Ras Baraka, Saul Williams, Tony Medina, Jessica Care Moore, and Asha Bandele.

Thomas graduated from Syracuse University as a two-time Big East defensive player of the year and the school's all time leader in block shots. Picked by Dallas in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft, he
eventually ended up playing for the Washington Wizards, where he became impressed with the political activism surrounding him. He has been invited to speak at the Congressional Black Caucus and has
worked heavily with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as a vocal opponent of the death penalty.

Thomas has a passion for young people, speaking at community organizations, high schools and prisons across the country. He has performed alongside Nikki Giovanni, Edward Hirsch, The Last Poets, Kevin Powell and others. Refreshingly humble and remarkably talented, Thomas is determined to change the face of poetry, politics and professional sports with his own brand of legacy and an honest sense of
urgency that resonates off every page of his first collection. More Than An Athlete is more than a book of poetry; it's a statement about his generation not being confined to a box, a definition, or a label. Some play ball, and some write poems. Etan Thomas has mastered the art of both. Who's got next?

Blog Entries by Etan Thomas

Memo to Huckabee: Jesus would not be Pro Death Penalty

30 Comments | Posted December 4, 2007 | 05:07 PM (EST)


At the recent CNN/You tube Republican debate, a question came from Tyler Overman: "Hi. This is Tyler Overman from Memphis, Tennessee. And I have a quick question for those of you who would call yourselves Christian conservatives. The death penalty, what would Jesus do?"

Governor Huckabee's answer was the perfect...

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In Defense of Barack Obama

79 Comments | Posted November 2, 2007 | 02:08 PM (EST)


Barack Obama has been bombarded with a list of complaints in regards to the way he has been conducting his campaign. These criticisms have been mounting for some time, and seem to be growing more and more as we near the primary elections.

Robert Guttman, the director of the Center...

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Giuliani Is No 9/11 Hero

Posted August 13, 2007 | 02:42 PM (EST)


I have to say that I was absolutely shocked and quite disgusted when I read Giuliani's statement comparing the time he spent for photo opportunities during 9/11 to the work of the firefighters. He was quoted as saying, "I was there working with them. I was exposed to exactly...

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They are Not Jealous of Our Way of Life...

Posted July 23, 2007 | 02:30 PM (EST)


I was recently a part of a wonderful experience. Myself, along with Ron Artest of the Sacramento Kings, Theo Ratliff of the Boston Celtics, and Maurice Evans of the Los Angeles Lakers, had the privilege taking a journey to Kenya with the National Basketball Players' Association. The main purpose of...

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Pedophiles, Child Molesters and Repeat Sex Offenders

Posted May 17, 2007 | 06:26 PM (EST)


I have heard discussions regarding the cable show about Internet predators and how they catch them soliciting young children but had never seen it. That is until last week. Chris Hanson, who I salute for all of his work in exposing what has become an epidemic, sets up decoys...

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An Open Letter To Jason Whitlock

Posted May 11, 2007 | 03:01 PM (EST)


Earlier this week, i had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion moderated by Spike Lee. The panel included Algee Crumpler of the Atlanta Falcons, Jim Brown, Stephen A. Smith, Coach Vivian Stringer, William Rhoden, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Whitlock, and Claire Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It was an...

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Imus: Enough is Enough

Posted April 11, 2007 | 11:50 AM (EST)


So, that's what he thinks of our women. Reduced to terms and phrases uprooted from slavery. For him to refer to the women of the Rutgers basketball team as "nappy headed hoes" is not only ignorant, but shows his connection to the centuries of racism and sexism that have been...

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My Christmas Story

Posted December 24, 2006 | 05:46 PM (EST)


About two weeks ago I along with five of my teammates each adopted a less fortunate family for Christmas. We provided them with gifts, actual Christmas trees, groceries, whatever they needed in order to make their Christmas special. We boarded the bus and visited each family together. We shared hugs...

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The Bigger Issue

Posted November 28, 2006 | 06:42 PM (EST)


After reading some of the responses to my article "Apology Not Accepted", I felt compelled to write on a broader topic. But before I get into that, there are a few responses I would like to address. First, the two recipients of Richards' verbal attack retaining of council...

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Work Ethic? Look At Your Columns, Tom Knott

Posted November 27, 2006 | 08:33 PM (EST)


A few weeks ago, Washington Times columnist Tom Knott attacked me in his newspaper (Washington Times Sept 4, 2006 "Injustice? Look at your contract, Etan"). Unfortunately, Knott didn't have the decency to discuss my views with me before publishing his article.

That Knott didn't speak to me about...

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Apology Not Accepted

Posted November 23, 2006 | 03:47 AM (EST)


Mark Breslin, the Canadian comic behind the country's chain of Yuk Yuk's comedy club and himself a longtime comedian said, "I don't think he's a racist. I think someone heckled him and he thought to himself how can I really hurt this person. He made a bad choice." A...

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