The NBA Can Inspire Change In The Black Lives Matter Movement | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

The NBA Can Inspire Change In The Black Lives Matter Movement

The NBA has a planned return for July 30th in Orlando, Florida, and has a perfect chance to keep the issues we are facing on the national stage.

84
The NBA Can Inspire Change In The Black Lives Matter Movement

To say the history of this country would have the same trajectory without sports would be an uninformed assumption. This idea of the importance of athletics is especially true when it comes to the issues of racism and equality for black people in America. Whether it was Muhammad Ali speaking out against social injustice in the 1960s, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf not standing for the anthem in 1996 in protest of police brutality and oppression, or Colin Kaepernick doing the exact same thing 20 years later, sports figures have used their platform to speak out for generations.

In times of injustice, the most important thing is for the oppressed to have a voice that matters, and for everyone else to listen. The NBA, and its players, have a chance to be that voice because when they come back, the whole world will be listening.

It is important to understand the history and demographics of the NBA before realizing its importance on racial issues in 2020. According to ESPN.com, as of the 2018-19 season, 81.9% of the players in the NBA were of color, with more than 33.3% of head coaches falling into that category as well. Not only are the overwhelming majority of players black, but the league's biggest stars are as well, and have been for decades.

Over the years, the players, coaches, and league executives have been outspoken on racism and social inequalities on multiple occasions. Before Colin Kaepernick took a stand by kneeling, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf did the same thing 20 years prior. In 2014, Commissioner Adam Silver banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life from the NBA after he made racist comments. At the 2016 ESPY award show, Lebron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade opened with a speech about police killing unarmed blacks and systemic racism, the same exact issues we are facing right now. In 2018, Lebron opened his "I Promise" school for at-risk children. Players have been outspoken on social media for the last few years and now, with all the protesting, they are speaking out by leading thousands upon thousands of protesters down the streets of America.

This history of outspokenness for the black community and against the oppression they face is what sets the NBA apart from all other major sports leagues, and is why they are a major piece to this puzzle.

The situation is this: The United States is a house and in one locked room are all black men and women. On the outside looking in through a peephole is the public. Like carbon monoxide, police brutality and racism seep in through the vent of injustice, slowly killing these unarmed black men and women without a way for them to stop it. For years, they've cried out: "We can't breathe!" For the most part, their cries have fallen on deaf ears. Now, the video of the murder of George Floyd has turned the peephole into a sizeable gash, giving more insight into what's going on. The NBA is standing outside the door with a hammer, and if they play their cards right, they can break open the door and finally begin to rescue the trapped people.

When the NBA comes back in July, it will be at the forefront of entertainment and all eyes will be on Orlando. There is no better time than now for an already progressive sports league to be given center stage. The players will be able to speak out to the millions of people watching as the season unfolds. The league could even put a BLM patch on all the jerseys or even replace the names on the back of each jersey with the name of one of the unarmed black people killed due to the systemic racism in this country.

Another advantage they gain by the timing of their return is when the season ends. The season is scheduled to end a month before the election when a whole new generation of young people can finally cast their ballot. Lebron James has already started a nonprofit along with his partner Maverick Carter to help fight voter suppression.

Between keeping progressive dialogue alive and encouraging Americans to go to the polls in November, the opportunity to inspire change is plentiful, and the NBA is the perfect entity to do it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

3714
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302605
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments