Athletes may be celebrities, but at a more fundamental level, they are human beings who are not immune to many of the ills that plague society.
Money and status can only go so far in regards to separating them from injustices that people are forced to endure.
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s powerful stance in kneeling during the National Anthem as a way to protest this country’s oppression of people of color is evoking strong opinions on both ends of the spectrum.
In the grand scheme of things, sport itself isn’t all that impactful. What ends up really making a difference is when athletes use the platform they’ve been granted through sports to try to enact change.
Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jackie Robinson can’t be properly reflected upon as individuals without including the humanitarian work they’ve done to try to correct the injustices within our world.
They’re all legendary athletes, but their exploits in the ring, or on the field, or on the court aren’t their main contribution.
Stephen Curry is one of the global ambassadors of basketball, having won the last two MVP awards, and his words have a lot of sway with the people who look up to him.
Curry was recently asked by CNBC about his feelings on Kaepernick’s protest, and Curry was supportive.
“I love that there’s freedom of speech and that he can stand up for what he believes in,” said Curry.
Further into his quote, Curry expressed hope that a prolonged conversation about ensuring the rights of people of color will result from this stance.
“I applaud him for taking a stand and hopefully the conversation is about the message and not ‘is he going to stand or is he going to sit for the National Anthem’ or whoever it is,” said Curry. “The conversation is started and should continue.”
Colin has been my favorite football player since he took over for an injured Alex Smith during the 2012 season.
Before this protest, the most powerful image connected to him was probably the way he torched that Packers defense for 181 rushing yards in the 2013 playoffs.
If this stance ends up defining his legacy as a football player, he can hold his head up high that he used the opportunity given to him to made a more wide-reaching impact than just entertaining people with his football talents.
I really applaud athletes for having the courage to speak out on issues close to their heart, despite all the external pressure urging them to just keep their mouths shut and consider themselves lucky to be able to play a game for millions of dollars.
They are human beings first and foremost, and they have to inhabit this world just like we do. Money and fame isn’t a shield from injustice and malevolence.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how far this movement spreads. U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe knelt during the National Anthem in a show of support.
In her explanation, Rapinoe included the fact that as a lesbian, she feels as though the LGBTQ community in this country has been oppressed in the past, so it’s extremely easy to empathize with how Kaepernick feels about groups in this country being neglected.
In the NFL, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane sat during the National Anthem of Seattle’s 4th preseason game, and the Seahawks are reportedly planning a big team gesture during the National Anthem of their week 1 game.
Safety Eric Reid joined Kaepernick by kneeling during the National Anthem of San Francisco’s 4th preseason game, and so far he is the only teammate to do so.
The NBA season is just around the corner, and it’s unclear whether Kaepernick’s protest will spread amongst basketball players.
Protests by their very nature are supposed to make people feel uncomfortable, and this has certainly gotten people’s attention.
Much discussion has been generated as a result of Kaepernick’s actions. He pledges to donate money and work closely with groups to try to alleviate the issues he speaks of within communities.
He risked a lot standing up for what he believes in, and Curry’s show of support is a nice gesture for an athlete trying to use his platform to initiate change.