Fred VanVleet Hopeful For New Administration, But Tired of Symbolic Victories

The Toronto Raptors were at the forefront of the NBA's fight for change, but Fred VanVleet wants more than a symbolic victory from the Joe Biden administration

Few teams in the NBA have led the fight for social change like the Toronto Raptors. The organization was at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement, first rolling into Orlando with the words Black Lives Matter pasted across their bus. They started a get out the vote campaign, urging Americans living in Canada to exercise their right to vote and bring positive change to the United States. Even this season, they've continued the fight, voicing their intense frustration with the racial injustice they see in the world.

"We cannot be afraid," Raptors president Masai Ujiri said back in September. "A lot of leaders are afraid to speak. A lot of leaders are afraid to speak their mind. We all know what the issue is. The issue is leadership, OK? The issue is leadership. We all need to go out, vote, and make the change that should happen."

On Monday, that change took place. The Donald Trump administration exited the White House giving way to a new Joe Biden administration. Even in such strange times, with a pandemic taking the lives of over 3,000 Americans a day, there was a sense of optimism for the tens of millions of people who cast ballots for the new president.

But symbolic change is not enough. For centuries American presidents have entered the White House preaching about change and optimism for the future. For many, that change has yet to come. 

"I mean, listen, if anything just trying to be optimistic about going forward and hopefully this symbolizes the start of a better four years in the political world than we had in the previous four years," said Fred VanVleet, one of the most outspoken political activists in the NBA. "But I definitely wasn’t looking at this presidency as the hope and the saviour. They’ve gotta show and prove as well."

From the earliest days of the Union, Black men and women have been fighting to be heard. They've fought for the right to be considered people, the right to vote, and the right to be treated with the same dignity and respect as White America. To quote civil rights activists Fannie Lou Hamer, Black people are "sick and tired of being sick and tired." They've seen these symbolic moments before and still, racial injustice persists throughout the country.

"While we’re happy to get the other guy out there, we’ve still got a lot of work to do," VanVleet said. "Whoever it is, whatever politicians are in those fields and those positions have to do more than they’ve been doing. So hopefully we can go in a better direction."

For women and more specifically Black women, however, Monday's inauguration marked a major symbolic victory as Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn into office by Supreme Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In the process, Harris became the first woman and Black woman to become Vice President of the United States.

"It’s big. It’s big," VanVleet said. "It’s symbolic, just being a woman first and foremost and as a Black woman, to be the first Vice President I think is huge. It’s a great accomplishment."

But even with the incredible optimism of the moment, VanVleet's hope was somewhat jaded. He's seen how long this fight for change has gone on and he's tired of these symbolic victories. After over 400 years of racial injustice, VanVleet wants real tangible change.

"I’m optimistic about it but we’ve still gotta see it," he said.