Chương 117: Chapter 117: Day of Atonement
[Chapter 118: Day of Atonement]
Dodger Stadium,
The team bus and other vehicles set out on time, heading toward the Batia Welfare Center located downtown. This facility assisted people with disabilities, and one of its main donors was the Los Angeles branch of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), making its primary service demographic Black individuals.
Inside a van, Hawke pulled out a walkie-talkie and asked, "Maduke, how's the situation on your end?"
Maduke replied, "Steve got the players pumped up, and they're really energized."
Hawke checked with the other end, "Caroline, how about the media you contacted? Are they catching up?"
Caroline, sitting in the Sports Illustrated van, said, "They're in tow with us."
As the Dodger fleet left the stadium, several media vehicles followed closely, along with some enthusiastic Dodger fans who spontaneously joined the convoy.
A caravan of dozens of cars made its way northward. Inside the van, Hawke grabbed his phone and called Megan Taylor, "We're heading out. Are you ready on your end?"
At the Batia Welfare Center, a broadcast truck from Fox was parked. Megan sat in the truck, saying, "I've got the slot; we can go live at any time, but it's only for Channel 11."
Hawke glanced out the window, "We'll be there in ten minutes at most."
Megan hung up, put on her headset, and shouted, "Prepare for live broadcast!"
...
Outside the Batia Welfare Center, many Black and white supporters gathered, holding up various signs to support the Dodgers as they awaited the team's arrival. Inside the pre-coordinated welfare center, volunteers rolled out some elderly disabled individuals from the building for the visitors to greet. To prevent any mishaps, Hawke had sent Caroline and Edward in a day earlier to ensure everything was coordinated.
As the convoy slowed, the team bus stopped at the entrance of the welfare center, and security set up a pathway. Hawke spoke into the walkie-talkie, "Guys, stay sharp and be aware of any situations. Report to me immediately if anything comes up."
The group replied one after the other.
...
The bus doors opened, and Steve Nutt was the first to step down, waving his arms in response to the enthusiastic calls from the crowd on both sides. Other members of the Dodger team followed suit, making their way alongside Steve to the welfare center. Several media reporters trailed behind them. Organized by the association, over a hundred social figures also entered the welfare center.
Hawke donned his headset, clipped his walkie-talkie to his waist, and blended in with the media reporters as he entered the front door.
The crowd surged into the front yard. Hawke stepped out from the throng and showed his temporary credentials to the security stationed off to the side before entering an adjacent room. He passed through the building and down a long corridor to reach the therapy room, where elderly Black individuals were receiving care.
Edward, along with several volunteers from the NAACP, was already there. Upon seeing Hawke, he hurried over, pointing to a large pile of basins next to him. "I came to collect these; they're all different styles, some new, some old, and we don't have enough."
In recent months, Edward had shown significant improvement, and Hawke was pleased. "Let's wait for the signal outside." He asked a volunteer from the Association to grab a vest and slipped it on.
Out front, things were somewhat chaotic, but the volunteers and security maintained a basic level of order. Hawke approached the window to get a glimpse of what was going on outside.
...
Steve, accompanied by a teammate with an arm injury, approached the group of elderly disabled individuals, hugging each one of them and taking a moment to chat. The other teammates followed his lead.
Media reporters were a bit disappointed, having followed the team just to see this? What was the big deal? The news value seemed pretty average! Many sets of eyes landed on Caroline, who was responsible for PR.
Dressed in a Chanel short trench coat and handmade high heels, Caroline tilted her dainty chin slightly, waiting for the uninformed crowd to be taken aback. She and Hawke were ready for the main event!
Ahead of the gathering, Steve embraced a one-armed Black man wearing flip-flops and noticed some grime on his feet. "Are you not getting proper care?" he asked loudly.
The one-armed man responded, his voice carrying, "They've taken great care of me. I had surgery to amputate my right arm recently and am just getting used to eating with my left. I spilled during lunch."
Steve turned to the volunteers beside him and asked, "Do we have any basins? Please bring a basin of water."
"Yes," a volunteer dashed off into the therapy room where Hawke and Edward were.
Edward picked up a fairly new basin, filled it with water, and came out right behind the volunteer. Steve took the basin, bent down to set it beside the one-armed man, and asked for a chair to help him sit down.
"I'll wash your feet," he instructed, prompting the man to remove his flip-flops and place his feet into the basin.
Steve lowered his body but didn't crouch or bend over. Instead, he followed Hawke's advice and knelt on one knee in front of the one-armed man.
Kneeling down, Steve gently washed the man's feet. In that moment, keen-eyed media reporters caught on to a trending news story happening right in front of them. They hurriedly raised their cameras, snapping shots of Steve kneeling to wash the feet of the disabled man.
The other white players on the Dodgers had been prepared by the organization and quickly made their way to the other disabled Black individuals, asking staff to bring chairs and fill basins with water.
One by one, used basins were filled and brought over. Staff helped some of the disabled individuals to sit down. Those who were in wheelchairs found it even easier.
The white Dodgers players steadily knelt on one knee, washing the feet of the disabled Black individuals. Soon, the Black players joined in, taking a knee and doing the same.
Several white players who couldn't get basins simply knelt down where they stood and pulled out wet wipes from their pockets to clean the feet of the disabled Black individuals.
The media photographers went into a frenzy, including Fox 11's live broadcast, which first focused on Steve and then shifted to a wide shot.
Megan had already prepared a script in the broadcast truck. As the voiceover played, she announced, "This is the essence of humanity, this is social progress..."
...
A stir erupted among the gathered reporters, and Caroline lightly nudged a nearby female reporter from Sports Illustrated.
The reporter shouted, "Steve, what are you doing?"
Steve knelt, scrubbing the feet of the elderly man, turned his face back with a serious expression, "We should feel ashamed of how we've treated Black people for the past 300 years. Everything our ancestors, including us today, enjoy has been built on the oppression of Black folks. I just want to take responsibility and care for those who need help, also in honor of my ancestors..."
He called out, "Atonement!"
After saying that, he turned back to continue washing feet.
In the crowd, the white liberals from the Association applauded passionately for Steve.
"Atonement! That's right! I should atone for my ancestors!" Someone started it, and soon a dozen white individuals dropped to one knee.
The scattered white liberals all followed suit, collapsing to the ground in unison.
The reporters quickly shifted their cameras to capture this moment.
Gradually, more and more white folks went to one knee, with some having prearranged it and most not.
But those who managed to get in were predominantly white liberals.
Swayed by the surrounding emotions or for other motives, these individuals followed suit, kneeling down in unison.
Even some more radical participants took out tissues or handkerchiefs from their pockets to clean nearby Black individuals' shoes, making them shine bright.
Not only that, but California's media also leaned left, and this wave influenced a lot of people.
The white liberal reporters felt it was guilty to stand while shooting black people, thus all dropped to one knee.
Among the standing Black individuals was Dodger manager Maduke, whose serious expression couldn't hide the joy building inside him.
Without a doubt, starting today, the Dodgers would dominate headlines for many days -- from sports news to social news; the front pages would be all Dodgers.
The welfare center playground suddenly quieted down, with all Black individuals standing while a sea of white individuals knelt at the entrance. The reporters still standing felt a bit odd but held their ground.
Steve and the Dodger players finished washing the feet of the disabled Black individuals.
Some white liberals cleaned the shoes of Black individuals nearby.
The reporters captured the desired hot news.
As the performance wrapped up, the Dodger players and the welfare center staff began helping elderly disabled individuals back inside.
Megan sent her trusty assistant Claire in from another entrance to conduct exclusive interviews with Dodgers players, including Steve.
It was still early evening, and digital media would release their stories, preheating the evening's prime-time A-List News.
...
The Batia Welfare Center's office had been commandeered temporarily by the Dodgers.
Hawke regarded it as a temporary media center.
A few team photographers were capturing several angles of video and photos.
Hawke directed the team's media officer to hurry with processing so that they could post it on the official website as quickly as possible.
Caroline rushed in from outside, updating Hawke on the latest developments. "Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report, and ESPN journalists just set up to edit news. In about ten minutes, the relevant news will be up on those sports portals."
Hawke asked, "Did you finish drafting what I asked?"
Caroline pulled the latest version from her bag and handed it to Hawke. "You weren't satisfied with it last night; I just wrapped it up this morning."
Hawke skimmed through it quickly.
"Steve Nutt: America starts to atone to Black Americans today, beginning with you and me."
The lengthy text beneath made Hawke's head spin. He handed it to the team's media officer, saying, "Just use the title; no need for content. Pair it with pictures and videos of the team, Steve, and the attendees, and upload to the official site."
The media officer hurried to get it done.
Caroline remarked, "The title is still yesterday's. You told me to rewrite it; I thought all night and finished it this morning only for you to dismiss it..."
Hawke raised his hand to interrupt her, "The reactions on site were enthusiastic, and even many white reporters knelt; the video and images speak volumes. No need for written guidance."
"You're the boss; you call the shots." Caroline took out her makeup mirror, sat in a chair and checked her dark circles.
Those on the take couldn't rest. Hawke handed her a laptop, "Keep an eye on the online dynamics."
Suddenly, Caroline recalled when Hawke had said about cattle and horses, stating they eat grass and work hard while being on call 24/7. It felt too much like herself.
...
A knock on the door sounded, and Edward went to open it. Megan walked in from outside.
Hawke asked, "Did the exclusive interview go well?"
"Very smoothly." Megan rubbed her face lightly, saying, "Los Angeles should erect a statue for Steve."
Caroline thought to herself that the Lincoln Memorial should yield for Steve's statue, which could then be renamed the Steve Nutt Memorial.
"You have the hot news you wanted," Hawke called Megan to the window, speaking softly, "The Dodgers are all lined up for a charity game against Caltech's baseball team this weekend."
Megan nodded, "Channel 11 can't broadcast sporting events."
Hawke understood, "I've worked it out with the team; you still maintain in-house exclusive interview rights."
He made sure to emphasize, "Before the game, the Dodgers will communicate with the college team, and at the start, both teams will take a knee, calling for an end to racial discrimination."
Megan and Hawke were on the same page, quickly grasping his intention, "You intend to use Steve's actions as a symbol for the equality movement."
Hawke said, "I'm a man of principle. Steve paid for this."
Megan understood, "I'll reflect that in the news report; consider it the interest for your efforts."
She is also very particular: "In the news coverage, I, as the intermediary, could pocket some cash, but that barely compares to an exclusive story. For news like this, it's usually $50K, and I've already started the proper approvals through the network -- it might take a few days."
Hawke said, "After the charity game this Sunday, I plan on having Steve's family come on your Ace News."
Megan squeezed his hand, saying, "Thank you."
"Next week, I'll head back to Wyoming for some personal matters," Hawke informed her in advance to avoid any sudden calls. "You'll have to handle the follow-up for Ace News from here on out."
Megan nodded gently, "Given how you've helped me this far, if I still can't hold my own, I might as well quit."
Hawke, shameless as always, said, "Since we're so familiar, I won't bring up your commission; just help me out a little bit in the future, as long as it doesn't violate principles."
"As long as it doesn't conflict with principles, it's fine." Megan understood clearly that while Cynthia, the director, didn't interfere, the so-called principles were her rules.
Essentially, it was all the same: it's all about principle when it's needed, but what is that principle when it isn't?
...
As time passed, reports about this incident started surfacing online.
The Dodgers' official website saw vigorous responses to the coverage.
Being a bastion for the left, California fans flooded the comment sections.
"Steve is a social role model!"
"The Dodgers are a team filled with social responsibility!"
"I want to kneel for atonement too!"
Without question, Steve and the Dodgers were set to gain massive popularity again.
As Caroline flipped through her laptop, she said, "Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report posted their news; comments have surpassed 10K, and shares exceeded 500."
Hawke nodded slightly, "About what I anticipated."
Caroline glanced at Megan, feeling inexplicably unsettled, and remarked, "The TV station was way too slow in their response."
Megan casually replied, "The depth of TV reports coverage can't be matched by the internet."
Before Caroline could say more, there was another knock at the door, and team manager Maduke stepped in.
His usually stern face was all smiles as he spoke, "I chatted with some media friends, and the feedback is overwhelmingly enthusiastic."
As he spoke, Maduke finally noticed Megan and quickly covered, "My apologies."
Hawke eased his words, "No need to worry; we're in the same camp here."
Megan stepped forward, stood next to Hawke, and said with a smile, "Congratulations again; you've positioned yourselves at the forefront of the times."
Maduke responded valiantly, "The Dodgers bear the responsibility of our time and will continue to be accountable for social values."
Megan quickly glanced at Hawke, suspecting that those lines were all crafted by him.
This latest hot news didn't happen by chance; it was another extension of Hawke's manipulation of Steve Nutt.
After Megan left, Maduke turned to Hawke, saying, "The news is online, and the college team that had been hesitant called me immediately to confirm the charity game for this weekend. They will promote anti-discrimination in the same manner as Steve."
Hawke reminded him, "Time is short; will the game proceed as scheduled?"
While Maduke might not match Hawke elsewhere, in organizing events, he was significantly more capable. "Don't worry; the Dodgers have plenty of experience running events. Three days is enough time."
Hawke replied, "Let's start preparations right away. After the exclusive on Ace News this evening, release ticket reservations."
He wouldn't dive into organizing it -- as an outsider, he'd leave that to the Dodgers' club to sort out.
...
Once Maduke left to contact the team and fully kick off the charity match, Hawke settled beside Caroline, grabbing the laptop to check out the news online.
The immediate nature of internet reporting far surpassed that of traditional print media.
Left-leaning coverage praised Steve across the board:
"Having Steve Nutt in our era is a blessing."
"Steve is the Martin Luther King of the 21st century."
"Highly recommend that L.A. City Hall declare a Steve Nutt Day."
The latter point hinged not just on Steve's popularity but also political will -- achieving it required the NAACP to work from multiple fronts.
...
The event at the Batia Welfare Center finished successfully and was a tremendous success.
As Hawke and his crew left by car, the event organized by the NAACP was still ongoing.
Over a hundred white individuals mimicked Steve by kneeling at the entrance of the Batia Welfare Center.
It seemed as though they were "atoning" for their ancestors in this manner.
By evening, related news had fully spread across networks and TV broadcasts, which, of course, included viewers' criticisms and abuse.
However, no media outlet actively attacked Steve's actions; rather, they sang praises.
Fox 11's Ace News, run by Megan Taylor, aired a special segment about "Atonement and Anti-Discrimination" during prime time.
Megan reflected on numerous serious racial discrimination incidents, including a feature on her interview with Steve and Maduke, rallying support for the upcoming charity game.
At the program's conclusion, she announced that today would go down in history as the "Day of Atonement."
Steve Nutt's kneeling shot began to become an iconic symbol of the anti-discrimination movement.
By the next day, print media followed suit, with the renowned left-wing newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, showcasing a massive image of Steve Nutt kneeling prominently on its front page!
Various other publications also highlighted Steve and the Dodgers in their top headlines.
The Los Angeles Dodgers promptly initiated ticket pre-sales for the charity match on Sunday, and local equality organizations in L.A. bought up tens of thousands of tickets.
*****
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