The message on Tyreke Smith’s chest hits home harder than the defensive end recruit ever could hit an opposing quarterback.
Tyreke Smith is bringing his T-shirt and his message to recruiting’s biggest stage
The defensive end recruit speaks to SB Nation about his week after wearing ‘“I hope I don’t get killed for being black today” T-shirt.
Athlete activism has no age requirement, something the four-star recruit from Cleveland proved when he showed up to an Ohio State camp.
“I hope I don’t get killed for being black today,” the T-shirt reads. The word’s in blood red.
Smith says he’ll take the shirt to The Opening, when the nation’s most elite recruits will be at Nike’s campus in Beaverton, Ore. between June 28 and July 3.
He also wants to make the message clear.
“People automatically assume when they see the shirt that it’s just about cops killing blacks, that it’s just a racist shirt,” Smith told SB Nation. “And I’m kinda just preaching, like, it’s not that. The majority of the killings are black-on-black crime, so it’s all crime on blacks. I just wanted to get that across to people.
“Like I said, I knew people weren’t gonna like the shirt. I knew some people were gonna feel different about it. But all I’m just asking to do is just read what we’re trying to get across, and then maybe they’ll have a different mindset about it.”
He’s described the last week as “crazy” for him, with attention from all angles and publicity on websites and TV.
The idea for the shirt was a family affair, a collaboration with his older brother, Malik.
The elder Smith plays college basketball, and recently announced a transfer to Bryant from UNC-Asheville.
The Cleveland natives are the grandsons of a Black Panther, and Smith says their conversations about issues are deep. They ask each other, “What if I’m next?”
“[My grandfather’s] just always been telling me that, being African-American, you’re always gonna have to do the extra stuff, the extra mile,” Tyreke said. “You’re always gonna have a target on your back. We weren’t always equals, stuff like that. Some people think we’re still not. Some people think they’re still above us.
“He’d just be saying be mindful, keep your head up. Keep your head on a swivel. Anything can happen at any time.”
Malik thought of the idea for the shirts in April, fueled by report after report of blacks being killed. Tyreke came to him with the idea to wear the shirt in Columbus.
Here’s the boys with their mother, Michelle.
“Me and Tyreke are closer than anything on this planet, and we have been since I can remember,” Malik told SB Nation. “With him going to the camp, he asked me, ‘Malik, should I wear this shirt?’ and I told him, ‘Yes, it’s a good idea. I didn’t make the shirts for you not to wear ’em.’
“But at the same time, I did tell him though that ‘You need to have a great explanation for the shirt.’ When people ask you, ‘What does this mean?’ you have to be to explain it and give a good, thorough explanation. Because otherwise, you wearing the shirt just to wear it.”
There’s a market for the shirts.
Malik launched a website to sell the shirts under the heading MBKbranding. The acronym stands for “my brother’s keeper.”
My Brothers Keeper Branding was created from a deep rooted fear that was turned into a way to influence people in a positive manner. Our goal is to challenge, inspire, motivate, support and unify communities through expression and attention to the issues that are dividing US.
Malik said he was sold out, and Tyreke said he was asked by multiple people at the Ohio State camp if they could get their own. But not every response to the message has been positive. While many on social media were supportive, others were not.
Once MBKbranding is up and running, Malik says he’s looking to fund a scholarship for students at their alma mater, Cleveland Heights High School.
For now, Tyreke’s deciding where he’ll play college football and will soon compete with over 100 of the best high school football players in the country. He’ll arrive at the home of one of the world’s apparel giants with a piece of clothing whose message is more meaningful than anything Nike could design.
