Warriors guard Moses Moody recently reflected on his powerful 'He Beat the Streets' poem from his senior year at Montverde Academy (Fla.), in which he personalized the struggle of a Black man in America and empowered the next generation to keep striving for prosperity.
On the court, Moody was a star in the making, averaging 11.6 points and helping Montverde — with current NBA players such as Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes — to an undefeated 25-0 regular season record in his senior campaign (2019). Off the floor, he was a young black man trying to pave the way for himself, his family and future generations.
Moody began his poem by talking about his uncle, who spent 18 of his 'prime years' behind bars.
“All because he had this undone infatuation with pride, he had to put that pride to the side to spend cold nights with straight killers," Moody said.
Moody used the story of his uncle to convey how a lack of resources for underserved kids far too often leads to imprisonment at a young age where they can otherwise plant the seeds for a more fruitful life had the odds not be stacked against them growing up.
“When he was inside, I’m sure he had dreams and aspirations to change his situation, maybe even further his education," Moody said. “They want to learn and be something and that fire’s taken away at a young age.”
Moody believes that his uncle had the skills that, if he was around the right influences and mentors, could become something special. Instead, he said it seems Black men are put in a box, with the perception being there are only two ways to make it out of their disadvantaged situations.
“I’m sorry to say I’m starting to believe the only way to make it out the struggle is put a ball in the hoop or rap, it’s so hard to make it out," Moody said.
The impact of systemic racism continues to be felt today. According to prisonpolicy.org, Black Americans makeup 13 percent of the United States Population but disproportionately account for 37 percent of the jail/prison population. Even more, there are countless cases of unarmed black men being killed, purely due to their skin color.
“I’m tired of seeing 5-0 who murdered another unarmed black male, but I guess we’re always armed because in their eyes, pigment is equivalent to a pistol," Moody said.
Moody believes the way the media portrays Black people is the root cause of the issue.
“Cinematography is used to paint my people in a bad light," Moody said. “Are you willing to learn this lesson, or are you distracted with my complexion?”
Despite all the hurdles, there are numerous successful Black men and women worldwide, including Moody, a third-year NBA player drafted in the lottery, averaging career-highs in points (7.9 PPG) and minutes played (16.9 MPG). On Tuesday, he started for the Warriors, hitting four 3-pointers, including a highlight-reel splash.
“An impoverished black male making his way out of the streets is the equivalent to a flower blooming through the concrete," Moody said. “To be where you are, wherever you are is something to be proud of. To just keep going shows that you are a flower that goes through the concrete.”
Ever since he arrived in the Bay, Moody has been praised throughout the organization as a true professional, a tremendous teammate, an intelligent mind, a hard worker and a skilled basketball player on both ends of the floor. His mindset and work ethic is an excellent example for Black youth worldwide.
“He’s built differently, so his mind is not even wired to consider retreat," Moody said, referring to the mindset of a successful Black man. "And after all that, that young man left standing on his own two feet had done the impossible; he beat the streets."