Chris Ross will no longer be silent.
After keeping quiet during the racially-charged controversy between TNT import Terrence Jones and his San Miguel teammate Arwind Santos a year ago, the 35-year-old Filipino-American — who was born in San Antonio, Texas — has become one of the country’s leading figures in the Black Lives Matter movement.
And he carried his advocacy with him into the PBA bubble.
Though the PBA did not allow statements on their jerseys, Ross still brought a BLM headband, which he sported during San Miguel’s game against Rain or Shine, Tuesday evening.
Four months ago, Ross recalled how he was also a victim of police brutality in the States.
“Racism is something that’s just been a part of my life from all angles. I’m half-Black and half-Filipino, [so] sometimes the black culture looks at me as not black enough. The Asian culture looks at me as I’m not Asian,” the San Miguel Beermen guard said.
“So I’m in this middle gray area. Where do I fit in?”
But what hurts the most for Ross was the death of his close friend a few years ago.
“But for me, it hits home because I’ve had guns pulled out on me by police officers, and I’ve had a close friend of mine killed by the police, so this hits home for me.”
Ross had four points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals in San Miguel’s 83-87 loss to Rain or Shine.
