“I can’t breathe,” said George Floyd as he took his last breath, while a police officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Breaonna Taylor was shot in her home as three officers in plainclothes broke in during a drug raid.
Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old African American, was shot by police seven times during an arrest.
While the streets of America are filled with protesters and a deadly virus still haunts the globe, professional sports have restarted. Some sports such as baseball (MLB), soccer (MLS) and basketball (WNBA) have begun a new season. The NBA is resuming its season.
Does anyone still care?
“Sports are definitely important because it’s one of many other platforms that are highly viewed and appreciated,” said JoAunn Rivers, a junior on Asbury’s men’s basketball team. “Which means for people of color, we’re able to stand up and make a change and also bring many dark things that are happening in this world today to light.”
American sports are in a difficult position. Due to the coronavirus, some players have opted to not play in their respective seasons. Fans have been banished. The NBA has even created its own “bubble” to ensure the safety of the players, coaches, and staff. On top of all of those issues and obstacles there is one more issue that puts sports in a tough situation — racism.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement has arrived in full force this summer and it is undeniably hard to not notice what is going on in our country.
“The BLM is a cause that I think should have happened a long time ago,” said Jamiel Goliday, an Asbury junior and a men’s basketball player. “The black community needs to continue to communicate our struggles as we strive to all be equals.”
Various players and coaches from professional teams have spoken up about social justice: LeBron James, Mookie Betts, Candice Parker, Greg Popovich, Dominic Smith, Naomio Saka and Doc Rivers, to name a few.
Giving the voiceless a voice. Taking a knee during the national anthem. James spoke on the tragedy of Breonna Taylor in a post-game interview with ABC News, saying, “As one of the leaders of this league, I want her family to know and I want the state of Kentucky to know that we feel for her and we want justice. That’s what it’s all about. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong.”
Zaria Napier, a sophomore on the Asbury University women’s basketball team, spoke on teams taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem.
“I agree with what the athletes were doing, although I feel like they should have all joined this movement when Kaepernick took a knee in support of getting justice. But I do think that since they are big in sports that they can help make a change.”
The NBA called off five playoff games, three WNBA games, three MLB games and five MLS games this week due to player boycotts.