2020 has been a year of tribulation for every major sports league in the United States. While COVID-19 has played a massive role in shaping the 2020 sports season, so has the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the past four months, America has witnessed some of the greatest racial tragedies, with the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Awakening racial issues that have always been a part of this country.
The NBA, MLB, and NFL have chosen to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the NBA , each player has had the option of wearing a phrase highlighting an injustice being faced or a movement they support.
“Nearly 300 players [wore] a message on the back of their jerseys with “Equality” being the most popular followed by ‘Black Lives Matter.’
Following the shooting of Jacob Blake, the NBA wasn’t the only major sports league to participate in protest. The Milwaukee Brewers of the MLB cancelled their game to protest the injustice in the reasoning of Blake’s shooting.
With the NFL season underway, on Sept. 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers stood up during the national anthem carrying a banner that read “Steelers against racism” to protest the injustice America has faced in recent months.
“[Professional athletes] represent a big population, Guy Sabala, baseball coach said. “A lot of people respect them and look up to them, so they have a lot of say with what’s right and wrong in this world.”
“Maybe the NFL [has the biggest impact] only because of Kaepernick starting the whole thing four years ago,” Sabala said, referencing Colin Kaepernick peacefully protesting racial injustice by kneeling for the national anthem in 2017.
With all of the stances on the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s apparent that many pro athletes have supported the movement, while obeying peaceful policies.
Pro sports supporting Black Lives Matter has made an impact on all viewers, especially a younger generation because they have seen a glimpse of peaceful protests on a national scale.