1/11
Three months after the killing of George Floyd, which triggered a racial awakening & unprecedented protests across America, we are back where we started. The shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha, WI police is an all too familiar installment in a long running series. #velshi
Three months after the killing of George Floyd, which triggered a racial awakening & unprecedented protests across America, we are back where we started. The shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha, WI police is an all too familiar installment in a long running series. #velshi
2/11
As the fight against the brutalization of Black Americans continues, we're seeing professional athletes once again using their visibility & platforms to create change. NBA players made the first move last week, in response to Jacob Blake’s shooting. #velshi
As the fight against the brutalization of Black Americans continues, we're seeing professional athletes once again using their visibility & platforms to create change. NBA players made the first move last week, in response to Jacob Blake’s shooting. #velshi
3/11
The NBA, whose players are predominantly Black, has made sure the "Black Lives Matter" message has figured prominently on the court & on their jerseys since games restarted this month. On Wednesday, 3 playoff games were postponed due to player strikes. #velshi
The NBA, whose players are predominantly Black, has made sure the "Black Lives Matter" message has figured prominently on the court & on their jerseys since games restarted this month. On Wednesday, 3 playoff games were postponed due to player strikes. #velshi
4/11
Players from the Milwaukee Bucks, an NBA team based about an hour from Kenosha, led Wednesday’s protest. The WNBA then delayed their games & so did Major League Baseball. 5 pro soccer matches were called off & even the NHL joined the strike. #velshi
Players from the Milwaukee Bucks, an NBA team based about an hour from Kenosha, led Wednesday’s protest. The WNBA then delayed their games & so did Major League Baseball. 5 pro soccer matches were called off & even the NHL joined the strike. #velshi
5/11
Tennis star Naomi Osaka, the world’s highest paid female athlete, withdrew from a tournament in New York, saying the "continued genocide of Black people at the hands of the police" makes her sick to her stomach. #velshi
Tennis star Naomi Osaka, the world’s highest paid female athlete, withdrew from a tournament in New York, saying the "continued genocide of Black people at the hands of the police" makes her sick to her stomach. #velshi
6/11
Athlete activism is not new. Protest in sports spans decades & it is almost always unwelcomed by those in power. That includes Donald Trump, who thinks the players should just "shut up and dribble." #velshi
Athlete activism is not new. Protest in sports spans decades & it is almost always unwelcomed by those in power. That includes Donald Trump, who thinks the players should just "shut up and dribble." #velshi
7/11
1936. Track star Jesse Owens ran in the Berlin Olympics. It was a silent protest of Hitler’s racist, Aryan agenda. There Owens set world records & won 4 gold medals. #velshi
1936. Track star Jesse Owens ran in the Berlin Olympics. It was a silent protest of Hitler’s racist, Aryan agenda. There Owens set world records & won 4 gold medals. #velshi
8/11
1967. Muhammad Ali almost lost everything when he refused to be drafted into the U.S. Army for the Vietnam War. As a conscientious objector, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison & stripped of his heavyweight title. The decision was ultimately overturned. #velshi
1967. Muhammad Ali almost lost everything when he refused to be drafted into the U.S. Army for the Vietnam War. As a conscientious objector, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison & stripped of his heavyweight title. The decision was ultimately overturned. #velshi
9/11
1968. Mexico City Olympics. After finishing 1st & 3rd respectively in the 200m dash, sprinters Tommie Smith & John Carlos each raised a single fist on the podium. Both men were booed & suspended from U.S. track & field. For raising their fists. Sound familiar? #velshi
1968. Mexico City Olympics. After finishing 1st & 3rd respectively in the 200m dash, sprinters Tommie Smith & John Carlos each raised a single fist on the podium. Both men were booed & suspended from U.S. track & field. For raising their fists. Sound familiar? #velshi
10/11
Fast forward to 2016, just FOUR years ago. Colin Kaepernick took a knee against this very issue that's plaguing our nation today. His silent protest cost him his career & he's still vilified by many. #velshi
Fast forward to 2016, just FOUR years ago. Colin Kaepernick took a knee against this very issue that's plaguing our nation today. His silent protest cost him his career & he's still vilified by many. #velshi
11/11
The legacy of activism in American sport is long & proud. At this crucial juncture, how do athletes make the jump from protest to progress? #velshi
The legacy of activism in American sport is long & proud. At this crucial juncture, how do athletes make the jump from protest to progress? #velshi
