The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to public outrage throughout the world. Many professional athletes have voiced their opinions on social media or through press conferences. The question is: should athletes use their platform to speak out about issues?
This isn’t the first time athletes have spoken out against political or social issues. The first instance was on August 10, 1883, when Cap Anson—the owner, manager, and first baseman on the Chicago White Sox— demanded that Toldeo Blus Stockings catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker not play in the game against Anson’s team. Walker wasn’t going to play anyways as he was injured, but when the manager of the Blue Stockings Charlie Morton found out about Anson’s demands, Morton took a stand and decided to play Walker at right field. This led the way for many more players to conduct protests against racism.
One of the most known instances is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem on August 26, 2016, in his preseason debut against the Green Bay Packers. He protested against police brutality and racial injustice for people of color. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said after the game.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed in Minnesota, by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. This led current and former athletes to speak out including LeBron James, Kaepernick and Dwayne Wade. A couple of days later, numerous athletes like Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum and Stephen Curry participated or led protests across the country. Several NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Saquon Barkley released videos demanding that the NFL condemn racism, listen to players and grant them their right to peacefully protest. After the NBA and WNBA seasons restarted, players and coaches wore jerseys with social-justice messages on them. Later on, several MLB teams kneeled during the national anthem on the delayed opening day.
These are just a couple of examples of athletes speaking out on issues. Lots of people don’t want athletes to use their platform to speak out against social issues, as they want sports and politics to stay separate. Anyone who believes this should put themselves in the shoes of any athlete. The point of a protest is to get as much attention as possible towards an issue. A sporting event is the biggest setting for athletes to do that. Athletes are tired of seeing people of the same skin color as them, or that of their teammates, oppressed.
Athletes have a right to voice their opinions, and they should continue to do so. By using their platforms to their advantage, they spread awareness on social issues and speak up for others who do not have a voice. As more people speak out, more people feel empowered to make a change, and that has happened many times in the past and will continue to happen in the future as long as athletes use their power in a positive way.
