Black athletes have a long and storied history of using their celebrity status to advocate for social justice. From Tommie Smith raising his fist in the Black power salute at the 1968 Olympics to Muhammad Ali declaring himself a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, Black athletes have made their voices heard.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JULY 9: The Minnesota Lynx huddle before the game against the Dallas Wings during a WNBA game on July 9, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
The latest athlete to speak out are WNBA players offering support to the Black Lives Matter movement in wake of the recent events in Baton Rouge, La., Dallas and St. Paul, Minn.
Members of the New York Liberty sported warm-ups shirts that read, “#BlackLivesMatter” and “#Dallas5” preceding a July 10 home matchup against the San Antonio Stars addressing the recent deaths of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and five Dallas police officers during a July 7 protest.
Likewise, the Minnesota Lynx wore shirts honoring Castile and Sterling, and the Dallas Police Department, which in the front read, “Change Starts with Us Justice & Accountability.” Lynx guard Maya Moore and forward Rebekkah Brunson held a press conference before their July 9 game against the Dallas Wings.
“We as a nation can decide to stand up for what is right no matter your race, background or social status,” Moore said. “It is time that we take a deep look at our ability to be compassionate and empathetic to those suffering from the problems that are deep within our society. Again, this is a human issue and we need to speak out for change together.”
Brunson, a Washington, D.C. native, said, “If we take this time to see that this is a human issue and speak out together, we can greatly decrease fear and create change. Tonight we will be wearing shirts to honor and mourn the losses of precious American Citizens and to plea for change in all of us.”
Similarly, Carmelo Anthony, a Baltimore native and New York Knicks star, has been in the news recently because of his activity on social media, using Instagram as a platform to urge other athletes to take immediate action against a variety of social issues. On July 8 he wrote on Instagram, “I’m all about rallying, protesting, fighting for OUR people. Look I’ll even lead the charge, By Any Means Necessary. We have to be smart about what we are doing though. We need to steer our anger in the right direction. The system is Broken. Point blank period. It has been this way forever. Martin Luther King marched. Malcolm X rebelled. Muhammad Ali literally fought for US. Our anger should be towards the system.”
“I’m calling for all my fellow ATHLETES to step up and take charge. Go to your local officials, leaders, congressman, assemblymen/assemblywoman and demand change. There’s NO more sitting back and being afraid of tackling and addressing political issues anymore. Those days are long gone. We have to step up and take charge. We can’t worry about what endorsements we gonna lose or whose going to look at us crazy. I need your voices to be heard.”