History Of Athletes Involved In Political Activism

LeBron James

Unlike Kaepernick and the NFL, the NBA supporting James propelled his political voice. Long before refusing to shut up and dribble, LeBron has made steps to combat racial inequalities. His I Promise school opened in 2018 in Akron, Ohio. In combination with the Lebron James Family Foundation, the school targets to help at-risk youth. Children who may have been let down by the educational system now have a chance to excel educationally.

LeBron is not one to back down on his beliefs. Often taking jabs at President Trump and others he opposes. He also has been very vocal about issues like police brutality and race relations in the United States. Another passion is leading many voting awareness campaigns aimed at educating citizens on how to vote. James teamed up with organizations like The Florida Right Restoration Commission.

Jaylen Brown

After the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, Brown was motivated to let his voice be heard. The Celtics shooting guard decided to lead a peaceful protest in Atlanta. Teaming up with the Pacers Malcolm Brogdon, the two of which are vice presidents on the NBA’s leadership council. This is another display of how active today’s players are in leading the way.

History provides many examples of athletes being active politically. In the past, there may have been a select few brave enough to risk everything. Currently, athletes weigh in on many political subjects. As I touched on previously, they have a plethora of platforms to take advantage of using. Being that there are so many high-profile athletes speaking out makes it impossible to suppress their voices. What would have been truly interesting to see is if these athletes in history had access to social media. I’m sure they would agree with Navratilova and gave a lot of hell to those in power to inspire change.