Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Giving back might as well be Marshawn Lynch’s middle name because he loves to use his platform to pay it forward – especially in his hometown of Oakland.
During a recent interview on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, the Oakland Raiders running back talked about gentrification and how he plans to use the money he’s made in the NFL to fight against it.
“While banging my head against people (in football),” Lynch said, “I had the opportunity to make a couple dollars so therefore I started to go and buy up some real estate in the area where I grew up at in order to give people opportunity for housing.”
He went on to explain to Maher and the audience what he believes gentrification is.
“It’s basically when, for me, it’s a lot of white people come move into the hood and kick everybody out that’s there. I’ve been a witness of it since I was a small jitterbug so I mean now that I’m grown up and I’m seeing it, I understand it a little more.”
In addition to now combatting gentrification in his community, Lynch’s philanthropic efforts include sending kids back to school with free haircuts and school supplies, hosting youth football camps at his high school alma mater, and saving a classic Bay area soul food restaurant from being shut down.
If anything, Marshawn Lynch is always doing it for the culture (and his community).