Former Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush returned to the Detroit Lions lineup Sunday after an extended injury, but his biggest contribution came before the game.
It was then that Bush donned a long sleeved blue shirt with the words “I can’t breathe” written on it. St. Louis Rams offensive linemanDavinJoseph wrote the same words on his game cleats. And they followed Derrick Rose of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls who penned the same statement on his pregame shirt Saturday.
The three word statement comes one week afterfive Rams, including Baltimore native Tavon Austin, emerged from the Edward Jones Dome tunnel during player introductions with their hands up. In both cases, the players were making statements regarding the refusals of grand juries in Staten Island, New York and Ferguson, Missouri to return indictments against police officers who took the lives of young black men in separate incidents this year.
The non-actions of the respective grand juries have touched off scores of protests both in the involved cities and from coast to coast, including here in Baltimore. The readiness of football and basketball players to take part in these protests, albeit in symbolic ways, represents a shift in approach for some athletes, who now appear willing to take part in public discourse.
This comes after decades of silence from performers on political and social issues. North Carolina’s most famous athlete, Michael Jordan, was asked nearly 20 years ago to endorse former Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt, a Democrat, in his challenge to incumbent Republican Senator Jesse Helms, a noted racebaiter. Jordan famously declined, saying quote,“Republicans buy shoes too.” In other words, Jordan and many other star players were unwilling to follow the model of Jackie Robinson, who aligned himself with the civil rights movement of the1960s.
Jordan and his ilk certainly avoided the example of sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who raised black gloved fists standing on the medal podium in 1968 during the Olympics as the U.S. national anthem as a statement on the racial climate of the day. And certainly no one has displayed the courage of Muhammad Ali, who refused induction to the Army in protest to American involvement in Vietnam.
But in just the last year, we’ve seen LeBron James and his Miami Heat teammates don hoodies to protest the shooting death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. We’ve also seen Los Angeles Clippers players lead an uprising that helped topple owner Donald Sterling who was caught on tape making racially charged comments. And we’ve seen former Raven BrendanAyanbadejoand former Viking ChrisKluwespeak out forcefully for equality for gays and lesbians.
Even with these relatively modest steps, there are those who would prefer athletes just shut up and play.
The union representing St. Louis police officers demanded the Rams punish the five players who did the ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ gesture and that the team apologize for their actions. Appropriately, the team did neither. Athletes shouldn’t have to check their consciences or their tongues at the locker room door, as long as they’re willing to assume the consequences of speaking freely.
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