Black Attacks

So, by now we know how all of this goes. A man is killed by the police, becomes a hashtag, then people begin to protest and revolt. Our most recent police shooting involved Jacob Blake which resulted in the Milwaukee Bucks protesting their first-round playoff game. We have people like Colin Kaepernick who decide to fight there injustices in the calmest manner and still manages to lose their job. The lead question is, are these players in a position to even affect change? If the situation was switched in order to fight for inequality it’s solely dependent on you yourself putting your job on the line, you wouldn’t be completely Gung-ho to head down that path, now would you? Life tends to come full circle, it’s insane that the same day the NBA players strike took place which was August 26, marks the four your anniversary of when Colin Kaepernick first protested police brutality and systematic racism during the national anthem. Despite Kaepernick vices, which includes being peaceful, eloquent and having the right principles, the type of resistance our white counterparts usually preferred, immediately took a left turn. Now instead of focusing on police brutality they insulted Kaepernick, calling him disrespectful and other hurtful words for kneeling instead of standing during the anthem. They were even white players who understood his cause, successfully suing the NFL for blackballing yet they never join him in his stance. By 2019 only three NFL players were still kneeling and all were black.  This really has an effect on the professional athletes. After dealing with missing their season due to the pandemic, they are now being delayed even more due to a genocide. I never thought I would see the day that the back of the athlete’s jerseys no longer read their last names but read something more powerful. They pair the back of their jerseys with “approved” Slogans such as “Black Lives Matter” to sort of soothe the unrest that continues to linger in our most recent social climate. The team now kneels in unison and they are accompanied with “Black Lives Matter” painted alongside the court. Another question that tends to come into mind when considering these approved slogans, why do some shirts allow you to write “say her name” yet you can’t actually have the words "Breonna Taylor," that seems peculiar. It is beautiful to see corporations have empathy and put a whole culture first for once. But this goes beyond politics, personal beliefs, and especially sports. This country will not make any meaningful progress until those with the power to change their actions, thoughts, habits and beliefs actually do so. With that being said the NBA, NFL, WNBA, MLB, FIFA and NHL will all have to start making sacrifices so we can move successfully in the right direction.

Thank You,

JP