Source: WatchMojo.com
Last week, we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday in the United States. It is the day we recognize a man, a Black man, who once was ostracized, ridiculed, and labeled a problem maker. In reality, King was an agitator–a man seeking the truth and gently force-feeding society the ugly truth about segregation and bigotry.
One of the ways King felt equality of the Blacks could be demonstrated to a White society is through sports. Growing up, King and his siblings played baseball and football. Perhaps, that is why King felt athletes were great ambassadors for the civil rights non-violent movement. Black athletes could show the world what Blacks could do; they could reveal to the world the skill, intelligence, and strength of Black people.
That strength of Black athletes translated into victories on the baseball and football fields, basketball courts, boxing rings, and track in the early days. But soon it branched out to the streets where it gave courage to millions of Black people being oppressed by segregation and Jim Crow laws. And from the streets, more Black athletes arose to cross barriers in hockey, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, and so on.
Source: Moody College of Communication (Univ. of Texas-Austin)
See King’s birthday isn’t just a day to celebrate him and serve others, it is a day to remember all who fought, and still are fighting, for social justice. It is a day to remember and honor men and women like Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Peter Norman, Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Satchel Page, Jackie Robinson, Wilma Rudolph, Bill Russell, Karem Abdul-Jabbar as well as Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid, Malcolm Jenkins, Nate Boyer, Megan Rapinoe and Chris Long.
See, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who fought for social justice and equality. The above mention athletes have done the same. It doesn’t matter if the fight is for LBGQT rights, women’s rights, avoidance of excessive police force, education rights, standing up with Jewish people, etc.; athletes are the ambassadors’ society needs to lead us back to morality and our humanity.
Source: NFLPA