The World of Sports is Vocal that Black Lives Matter
Disclaimer: The most important part of this blog is to highlight ways that we can help effect change. Please visit this website as a source of information to educate and inform. It contains links to donation pages, sign petitions and reach out to government leaders about helping enact this change.
I write this next blog post with a heavy heart, devastated from the latest violent and senseless killing of a black American at the hands of our nation’s law enforcement. George Floyd was his name and he is no longer with us after another senseless act of violence by law enforcement. George Floyd was not the first black American to unjustly meet this fate, and likely won’t be the last.
Previously, the intro to this blog detailed my “white guilt” over these issues, but I’m learning this is better done on my own time. Rather, it’s more important to highlight the issues at hand. It’s about remembering the names of black Americans who similarly met this fate; it’s about Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray and many, many others.
The current events in our nation are NOT about me or my feelings of shame and guilt over the situation. They are about the millions of black Americans that face daily events like the following:
A person crosses the street to avoid walking next to a group of young black men.
A person calls 911 to report the presence of a person of color who is otherwise behaving lawfully.
A police officer shoots an unarmed person of color because he “feared for his life.”
A jury finds a person of color guilty of a violent crime despite scant evidence.
A federal intelligence agency prioritizes investigating black and Latino activists rather than investigate white supremacist activity.
This is what needs to change; what needs to stop. Other than helping the cause on my own time (through petitions, donations, whatever it may be), I’d also like to use my blog as a platform. This post serves to highlight some of the efforts by international sports figures, of all colors, in raising information about the perilous state of our nation; particularly the situation that black Americans find themselves in on a daily basis.
Although there’s no specific playbook that magically fixes this problem, I do believe that continued education, continued awareness, and continued action can help. For that reason, I applaud some of our beloved sports stars for their efforts. At the end of the day, I applaud anyone willing to take steps (be it action, education, etc.) to make this change.
Black Lives Matter
Our recent history is full of sport stars using their platform to highlight injustices faced by black Americans. There have been a number of these figures devoted to effecting change for unjust police brutality against black Americans, none more notable than Colin Kaepernick.
Formerly a rising NFL-star, the quarterback played his last professional football game in 2016. After a season in which he kneeled during the national anthem to protest these injustices, his peaceful protest was met with resounding criticism and backlash, with teams across the NFL refusing to sign him in the following seasons. Instead of surrendering his stance, Kaepernick declared to NFL teams that he would not abandon his peaceful protest if offered a contract. For that reason he has been out of work since 2016. And, for that reason, he is a shining example to us all.
Prior to this, during the 2014-15 NBA season, several players including LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Kevin Garnett and Deron Williams wore “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts during warmups in honor of Eric Garner. In July, the Staten Island man died after police placed him in a chokehold.
On Nov. 30, 2014, five St. Louis Rams players took protest after the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. As the team went through introductions, Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, Chris Givens and Stedman Bailey took the field with their hands up, mimicking the “don’t shoot” gesture for Brown.
Following the latest tragic killing of George Floyd, the sports world has seen an outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter movement from international sports figures of all backgrounds and races.
During the last week, WWE Wrestler Randy Orton and Mets first baseman Pete Alonso engaged in brief social media confrontations with their fans on their posts surrounding Black Lives Matter. The two responded to ignorant comments by fans that “All Lives Matter,” which is generally seen as a counterpoint to efforts to highlight the disproportionate impact of police misconduct on black people.
In England, several Premier League soccer teams joined together to make gestures towards Black Lives Matter. Liverpool players took a knee during training around the center circle while Newcastle players knelt together in an H shape (for “Human”) in direct support of the movement.
In Formula One racing, Lewis Hamilton, one of the few drivers of color, denounced his fellow drivers for keeping quiet. A few white drivers, including Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo posted in support of Black Lives Matter in the following days. World Athletics, the international governing body of track and field, posted a message including the phrase #BlackLivesMatter.
Although the recent influx of support by international sports figures may not directly enact change, it’s promising to see such a large community joining together to use their renowned platforms to help raise awareness. Certainly, it’s not enough, but this awareness helps instead of hurting, and that’s a start.
