Athletes Make a Stand

By Maddie Zimmer

Professional sports teams are collectively taking a stand around the nation using their platforms to their advantage, striking out and protesting systemic racial injustice because of the innocent American lives being taken by racial profiling/assault/and murder (ironically) by the individuals meant to keep us safe.

2020 has been a hectic year, but the social injustices that we have always seen and are continuing to see was the last straw for the American people. With a conservative president who can’t even condemn white supremacy and has demonstrated racist behavior on multiple occasions, people of color in this country are threatened, not only by Trump and his supporters but the men and women whose careers are by definition “to protect people and property.” The problem is facing us right in the face and yet some people are too ignorant or selfish to recognize it.

These athletes and teams are taking the risk of losing numbers from their fan bases simply because they believe in equal human rights. We saw this in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks refusing to play their scheduled game in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This started a trend, as other teams in the league took strike to their scheduled games.

We also saw similar messages being made in the NFL as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Football Team stood together before their NFL season opener on September 13. This is also happening in women’s sports such as players from our women’s national team. During the national anthem, players from the North Carolina Courage and the Portland Thorns FC took a knee at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, while wearing Black Lives Matter shirts.

The WNBA dedicated the season to Breonna Taylor and the Say Her Name movement, which raises awareness for Black female victims of police violence. Layshia Clarendon of the Liberty spoke on behalf of her teammates to say they are "dedicating this season to Breonna Taylor, an outstanding EMT who was murdered over 130 days ago in her home."

Names like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake are a few of many faces and innocent souls that have died because of the racist institution this country formulated from and ingrained into its culture and enforcement. We see now more than ever how important it is for people of social status and power to use their platform to spread the message of equality and that every life is just as worthy as the others. So what better way than for professional American athletes to give their disapproval and anger in our divided reality.