Video of police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin shooting Jacob Blake in the back seven times as he entered his car where his children were, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, has launched more protests against police violence towards Black people. Athletes around the country are speaking out against the latest evidence of police escalating and using unnecessary and potentially lethal force against Black Americans.
It comes at a time where the list of victims of police brutality and violence has continued to grow, leading to nationwide protests and calls to action to defund and reform police departments. Athletes have promised to use their platform to promote and enact change, but the shooting of Blake has left many wondering if there’s more to be done. Bucks guard George Hill questioned Monday why he and other players agreed to play the restarted season in Orlando, which he believes offers a distraction from the social issues at hand. Norm Powell of the Raptors indicated NBA players have discussed boycotting games, noting kneeling in protest is “not getting it done.”
In the NFL, the Detroit Lions protested outside the team facility, speaking as a group to the media who had gathered for a practice that the players canceled after a lengthy team meeting in the morning, via Tori Petry.
This is why Lions practice was canceled today. Entire Lions team addressing media outside the building to discuss the shooting of Jacob Blake.
“Football is not important today.” -Duron Harmon pic.twitter.com/eqDIrJp9Ex
— Tori Petry (@sportstori) August 25, 2020
S Duron Harmon is speaking on the mic. “The Detroit Lions organization is going to take a stand that what happened to Jacob Blake is not okay… We are going to speak out on it until we create change.”
— Tori Petry (@sportstori) August 25, 2020
Stafford says they didn’t talk any football in their AM meeting. Coach opened up the floor for players to speak. Says the conversations lasted hours. They had a 45 minute break after the meeting & the players huddled up in the locker room immediately to plan the demonstration.
— Tori Petry (@sportstori) August 25, 2020
#OnePride pic.twitter.com/8qZvoQHHdr
— Danny Shelton (@Danny_Shelton55) August 25, 2020
If the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery served as a wake up call for the nation, the police shooting of Jacob Blake further evidenced how far there is to go and how much work is needed to be done. This is something happening nationwide, from Minneapolis to Brunswick, GA to Louisville to Kenosha, WI to Los Angeles to New York. It isn’t something new that Black people deal with, but the visibility of it is with everyone having the ability to take cell phone video now and to ignore it is to condone it.
Athletes have steadily stepped up and found their voice in recent years amid calls for social justice and an end to systemic racism, but their frustration with a lack of action and change is more than understandable. As such, they will continue to be a voice for the oppressed and will consider taking greater actions than just speaking out if it means ensuring their voices are heard and this issue remains the central focus.
