This Week in Sports and Social Issues: “What was the message that YOU got?”
I am passionate about the intersection of sports and social issues. Led by athletes, people throughout the sports world are finding their voices and using them to elevate important conversations and advocate for change in society. Each week I’ll share links to excellent reporting tackling this important issue.
Naomi Osaka wound up needing all seven masks. Following her victory in the US Open, during which she used each of her seven matches to raise awareness about a victim of racial injustice, Osaka had the perfect response to a question about what message she was trying to send. Soraya Nadia McDonald wrote an excellent piece for The Undefeated about Osaka’s emergence as a leader in this space.
In yet another sign that perhaps our country is not quite as divided as we may think, a new Washington Post poll reported by Rick Maese and Emily Guskin found that “a 62 percent majority of Americans say professional athletes should use their platforms to express their views on national issues, including over 8 in 10 Black Americans and 7 in 10 adults under age 50.” Something to keep in mind the next time someone tries to convince you that athletes speaking out on social issues are “killing sports” or that it’s the cause of a tiny dip in TV ratings, despite dozens of other more plausible factors.
As the WNBA playoffs began this week, Mechelle Voepel of ESPN.com spoke with multiple players about the news that the city of Louisville had reached a $12 million settlement with the family of Breonna Taylor. The universal reaction was that the settlement was a step in the right direction, but the players still want to see the officers responsible for Taylor’s death arrested and charged.
Candace Buckner of The Washington Post had a fascinating piece on a natural next step in the NFL’s journey on racial justice. Now that the league and teams are coming around to accept and condone players kneeling during the national anthem, many players are asking “what’s next?” The Baltimore Ravens offered one answer to that question, with a powerful statement including multiple tangible actions its players want to see taken.