Episode 96: Blake Gillespie on Basketball Hoops in Concentration Camps

About this episode

Blake Gillespie discusses the intersection of basketball and social justice in the context of concentration camps and immigration policy.

Blake Gillespie, H-O-R-S-E nemesis and the thinker/writer behind Spirit of Hoops is on the show to discuss his recent essay Will Basketball In Concentration Camps Wake You To Action? This episode focuses on a call to action to push back against the ongoing incarceration of undocumented people across the country, based on their country of origin, the language they are speaking, and the age-old American tradition of discrimination based on skin color. As basketball courts pop up at the camps, Blake has used his history with and love for the game to consider how these spaces are being weaponized to help execute the current administration's immigration policy. In this essay, Blake weaves history into current events in a beautiful, captivating way that creates dots for the viewers to connect and opens up possibilities for response. Blake is an artist, writer, a dedicated basketball player and most importantly, a human who cares about the world and often understands it through basketball and his experience of the game. You can follow Blake's newsletter ⁠ here and follow his instagram Spirit of Hoops here . Works cited: Pacific Rims by Rafe Bartholomew Big Game, Small World: A…

People in this episode

Host: Dear Adam Silver

Guest: Blake Gillespie

Topics covered

• basketball
• immigration policy
• discrimination
• concentration camps
• social justice
• activism

Keywords

• basketball
• concentration camps
• immigration
• social justice
• activism
• Blake Gillespie
• discrimination
• H-O-R-S-E

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ICE

Books & works: Will Basketball In Concentration Camps Wake You To Action?, Pacific Rims, Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure, Ways of Seeing

Places: Australia, Iran

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