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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Warriors’ star spent most of his day flying across the country and then completing a 90-minute practice. That did not inhibit Stephen Curry, however, from spending the rest of his Wednesday evening doing something familiar in the nation’s capital.

Instead of sticking to sports, Curry talked about issues that have remained divisive nationally. Curry hosted a screening at Howard University for the documentary, “Emanuel,” a film Curry’s production company made centering on a white supremacist shooting nine black people at a church in Charleston, S.C. nearly 3 ½ years ago. Curry then participated in a panel that included his business partner (Jeron Smith), the film’s director (Brian Ivie) and The New York Times’ race-related editor (Lauretta Charlton).

“Athletes in general, especially in the NBA, those guys are educated and they know what they’re talking about,” Curry said during the panel. “They’re passionate about what they believe. There’s a reason you say something and there’s a headline. People want to hear what you have to say so we shouldn’t shy away from it.”

Curry had plenty to say regarding the film, which delves on various hot-button issues regarding race relations, gun violence, the death penalty and Christian faith. The documentary will be released nationally in select theatres on June 17, marking the fourth-year anniversary when 21-year-old Dylann Roof walked into a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., and shot and killed nine black people.

We're live with @laurettaland, race-related editor for the New York Times, and @StephenCurry30, discussing “Emanuel," a documentary co-produced by Curry's media company about the 2015 Charleston, South Carolina church shooting. https://t.co/wUIFQn6EJM — The New York Times (@nytimes) January 24, 2019

The film includes interviews with the family’s victims and details how they have reconciled with what Curry called “a senseless tragedy.”

“It’s hard for me to put myself in their shoes and empathize with what they’re going through. But it’s so inspiring the way they handled it,” Curry said. “They chose forgiveness. They chose faith. They chose to support each other and the community. That alone speaks volumes for humanity and hope of humanity.”

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Curry and Smith co-founded Unanimous Media, which worked with Viola Davis’ JuVee Productions to make the film. Smith said that Curry has “wanted to use his platform to inspire the world.” Ivie added that they the company will share an undisclosed amount of the film’s profits to the family’s victims that were interviewed.

“There is no more impactful way to inspire the world than the sharing and dissemination of content,” Smith said. “It seemed like getting into the film and television space was the right move for us.”

When Curry learned immediately about the shooting four years ago, he grieved and empathized. Considering the influx of gun-related violence in recent years, though, Curry admitted “you get numb to it; you don’t want to have that initial reaction.”

Instead, Curry channeled that grief into Unanimous Media’s first project. The subject matter touched Curry, who remains a devout Christian since attending church regularly as a child. He expressed sensitivity on how Roof murdered nine black people in a building that is considered their spiritual sanctuary. Curry also shared his conflicting feelings on how to weigh forgiveness, a central teaching in the Christian faith.

Hence, Curry’s nuanced perspective on Roof being sentenced to death after being convicted of a federal hate crime. It remains unclear when or if the federal government will carry out that punishment.

“I don’t believe in the death penalty. I feel like there are situations where an individual can be redeemed or be healed and mentally or physically with whatever the issue is and the root of why they are in that situation,” Curry said. “They do not need to be a threat to society at all. That needs to be taken care of, first and foremost. I understand there are other implications of what that means with a life sentence and long-term care for that. But in terms of what I believe in humanity and the redeeming qualities of my Lord and Savior, what that means for somebody going through something that is the worst of the worst, nothing is impossible for that.”

Some of the victims’ families believe the same thing.

“In the midst of grief and tragedy of that magnitude, this family has found that. It speaks for itself in terms of humanity,” Curry said. “No matter what race you are, we can find that at the route of these tough conversations we’re having and continue to progress. We all don’t know everything. But we can come together and move in the right direction. That’s what these families spoke about and lived throughout this tragedy.”

Curry’s visit coincided with the Warriors (33-14) playing the Washington Wizards (20-24) on Thursday. In normal circumstances, the Warriors would have made the customary White House visit to celebrate the 2018 NBA championship. For the second consecutive year, however, U.S. President Donald Trump announced preemptively the Warriors were not invited after giving strong signals they would not attend, anyway.

The Warriors, including Curry, have centered their criticisms on Trump specifically for his divisive rhetoric about minorities, women and the disabled. They took strong exception to Trump’s initial refusal to condemn white supremacists for their role in the riots in Charlottesville, Va. in the summer of 2017. The Warriors also took offense to Trump referring to NFL players that kneel during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality as “sons of bitches.”

Curry became the face of the Warriors’ public disagreements with Trump after publicly admitting before training camp last year that he would refuse a White House visit invitation. The next morning, Trump singled out Curry in a tweet before formally rescinding an invitation.

Nonetheless, Curry has tried to focus more on his philanthropic work than any disagreements with Trump. Curry has helped reduce malaria with the United Nations’ “Nothing but Nets” campaign and has raised scholarships for military families with ThanksUSA. Curry also became involved with the Warriors’ partnership with “Rock the Vote” to improve voter turnout for the mid-term elections last November.

“That platform is extremely powerful if used in the right way,” said Curry, who praised NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for encouraging the league’s players to do so. “This era of athlete is unafraid to be unapologetically themselves, no matter what that means. I’m blessed to be able to play in this league. I’m blessed to have the support that we do. I’m blessed to have the platform that I do. We’ll continue to use that until I don’t have it anymore.”

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