Athletes Respond to Injustice

By H. Elizabeth

The sports world came to a screeching halt last Wednesday as athletes around the country united against racial injustice and police brutality. The recent police shooting of Jacob Blake sent shockwaves throughout the athletic community, prompting an unprecedented response by the National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) Naomi Osaka to postpone or cancel their regularly scheduled games in protest. 

In solidarity with outspoken teams, current players, and coaches, broadcasters and sports legends took to social media to voice their support of the protests. Dominic Smith (New York Mets First Baseman), Chris Webber (former NBA All-Star), and Doc Rivers (the current L.A. Clippers coach) shared emotional messages about the pain of the racial injustices they have faced as black men in America. During an ESPN interview, a teary-eyed Doc Rivers said “It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back. It’s really so sad.” While many have criticized the response by various sports leagues, in his speech on NBA TNT, Webber made an emotional plea, “If not now, when?”

If not now in 2020, a year of upheaval and calls for social justice, then when? The time is now! Girl Friday will be covering athletes’ continued responses to racism, injustice, and police brutality. Stay tuned!