USA TODAY International Edition
Harkless’ site boosts Black culture
The NBA had suspended its season, and Knicks guard- forward Moe Harkless was trying to think what he could do to help as COVID- 19 gripped the world.
“At first, it was difficult for me,” Harkless told USA TODAY Sports. “I was struggling. I wanted to do something but just didn’t know what to do. There was a lot going on. It was an emotional time. Once I was able to gather my feelings and after talking to a few people, I was able to channel everything I was feeling and use it to do something positive.”
Harkless likes good food, wine, collects art and listens to music. He realized people in those industries were struggling, so he created a website dedicated to helping Black- owned companies in the restaurant, music, wine and book industries among other sectors.
Harkless’ website, moeharkless. com, has been transformed into Black Lives Now and focuses on “all the things you need to know about supporting Black lives and Black culture in every aspect of your life.”
“Be of service to other people. That’s really all that was behind it,” Harkless said. “We had a lot of thought put into it, and we wanted to get it out as fast as possible.”
The site provides a link to Blackowned restaurants in New York and Los Angeles, Black- owned wineries, support for Black artists and musicians and writers. The site also provides a way for people to donate, register to vote and seek mental health resources.
“You hear a lot of people asking how they can help or what they can do and they don’t know where to start,” Harkless said. “The website we created is a great place to start when you don’t know.”
The listings are immense. Harkless posted a spreadsheet for New York with 255 Black- owned restaurants including a phone number, address and website, if applicable. He posted contact information for 369 restaurants in Los Angeles. He linked to the Vote. org page so people can make sure they are registered or register to vote. He also linked to a page with options to help in a variety of ways, including by making donations.
“I just wanted to provide as many resources as possible,” Harkless said. “It’s affected so many people. It’s really unfortunate. A lot of businesses that closed probably won’t open again. If you have the means and the ability to support these businesses – and some need it more than others – you should. That’s one of the thing( s) we tried to focus ( on), and the other avenue is donations, just trying to help businesses. It’s just tough times.”
While players inside the NBA bubble are getting their message out through news conferences, Harkless is trying to do his part while not playing.
“I see men who want change taking action and putting themselves and everything they could lose aside for what they believe in,” he said.
For his next step, Harkless said he wants to engage with kids “to help our next generation and provide some resources for them as well. This is just the beginning. I’m not sure where this is going to go but we’re definitely going to continue to build on it and make things happen.”