Jalen Brown has been one of the most outspoken professional athletes when it comes to the topic of social justice. In the wake of signing his new contract extension with the Celtics that makes him the highest paid player in league history, Brown spoke at the Celtics presser about his role in creating a more equitable Boston.
"I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston," Brown said in part. "I want to attack the wealth disparity here. I think there's analytics that support that stimulating the wealth gap is something that could be a betterment for the entire economy. "With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about, one, your investment in community. But two, also, the wealth disparity here that nobody wants to talk about."
He continued, "It's top five in the U.S. It's something that we can all improve on. It's unsettling. And I think through my platform, through influential partners, through selected leaders, government officials, a lot who are in this room, that we can come together and create new jobs, new resources, new businesses, new ideas that can highlight minorities but also stimulate the economy and the wealth gap at the same time."
Brown added, "I think that could be a mix of commercial, MCs (mixed commercial), real estate, residentials as well. Boston could be a fully integrated, self-sufficient hub attacking minorities and stimulating the wealth gap. I think Boston could be a pilot, not just for wealth disparity here in the U.S. but also for around the world. So you asked me what I wanted to do, or what I want to do. One, I want to attack that wealth gap here in Boston, create a project. Also, I want to help stimulate the overall economy, and I want to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston."
