It could be exhausting in charge Martellus Bennett for sitting round and doing nothing in retirement after a profitable NFL profession, however the former tight finish has a lot larger issues in thoughts.
When Bennett retired final spring, he defined that he was prepared to maneuver “into the fantastical and wondrous world of creativity,” keen to start “what I believe to be my life’s work.” Even after his brother Michael was traded to the New England Patriots this offseason, Martellus opted towards rejoining the Pats, as an alternative insisting his greatest dream remained making an attempt to “change lives with my creativity.”
One approach by which Bennett is making an attempt to do this is together with his new guide “Dear Black Boy,” which he hopes will assist the world see black kids for extra than simply their athletic capability or potential.
During an look Thursday afternoon at NESN, Bennett participated in a Q&A hosted by Michaela Vernava by which he spoke at size about his mission with “Dear Black Boy.”
” ‘Dear Black Boy’ for me, rising up in the neighborhood I grew up in,” Bennett defined, “it’s been occurring to me day-after-day — and I’m sort of pissed off about it occurring on a regular basis — however when somebody first sees a black male determine, the very first thing they ask you is ‘what sport do you play?’ Right? The concept is that they discover worth in us as athletes and that begins to mirror how we take a look at ourselves since you wish to really feel helpful on the planet you’re residing in.
“So for me, I want the world to when they look at a black boy, they shouldn’t just see athletes — they should see dreamers, they should see architects, writers, creators, ninjas, astronauts, whatever they want to be. I want black boys that when they look at themselves to see the same thing. Like they add value to the world, they’re valuable to the world, and they’re valid not only how they perform on the field but also how they perform in other areas of life.”
Bennett’s new guide is only one car via which he can unfold his message. Even earlier than retiring, Bennett began his personal content material firm, the Imagination Agency, which is described as “a wondrous group of monsters and imaginary friends tasked with creating, drawing, writing and imaginating fantastical adventures for kids all over the world.” Not solely is he telling black youngsters they are often extra than simply athletes. He additionally needs to point out them.
“My whole thing is how do I introduce them to all the other opportunities and the other possibilities in the world? It’s one thing to tell them they can be anything, but it’s another thing to go out there and be all these things you tell them they can be,” Bennett stated Thursday.
“When they see me, I don’t want them to see an athlete. I don’t want them to aspire to be the player I was on the field. I want them to aspire to be the writer or the creator or the dreamer that I am. That’s like my ultimate goal in life.”
You can be taught extra about Imagination Agency right here, and right here’s extra details about Bennett’s new guide “Dear Black Boy.”
You can also see Bennett’s whole NESN sitdown look within the video beneath.
Thumbnail picture by way of Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images