We need everyone on the playing field who is conscious to come together in a single organization to support each other when we speak out. We need to have each other’s backs and we need to be willing to act, together. So much value in our society is placed on the individual. The “great man” myth is a big part of our culture. Everyone is supposed to rise or fall on their own hard work and achievement. But social change requires solidarity, even—if not especially—in the world of sports. When you look at history, any time our country has moved in the direction of fairness and justice, a lot of people acted together to make it happen.
I began talking with athletes and friends more than a year ago about forming an organization—we thought we’d call it “Athletes United.” We allowed ourselves to imagine the size of our collective platform. We don’t all have 50 million Twitter followers like LeBron, but together we could have 100 million. Shoot, if LeBron joined, we’d have 150 million. It would be kind of like having our own union across different sports, just for taking action on social issues. If there were this type of umbrella for all athletes, no matter what sport they played or league they were in, they would have a home for when shit gets hot. We talked about forming a group that included some of the greatest male and female athletes willing to confront injustice. Not to put anyone on the spot, but I got excited thinking about an organization that brought together Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe; LeBron James and Breanna Stewart; the Williams sisters and the Bennett brothers, coming together to form the Super Friends of justice. Marshawn Lynch and Maya Moore; Chris Long and Justin Britt; Mario Balotelli and David Beckham. For real, David Beckham.
I think an organization like this could bring a lot of white athletes into the fold. We need more white players joining the struggle and stepping up. That’s heroism, to me. Chris Long’s public support of the anthem actions and his donations to scholarships that promote equality are heroism. We speak about Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio as being legends, and, on the field, they were heroes. But there’s nothing heroic about silence when human rights are being violated. White athletes are going to need some cover and support to really be a part of this, and a united group would be able to provide that.
Many players do important work with charitable foundations, providing afterschool programs and sports camps for kids, helping the homeless, raising cancer awareness, and so much more. While this work is deeply needed, I have come to realize that we need to cross the bridge from philanthropy to activism. When Colin took a knee, it changed the national conversation about police violence and racism in a way that no amount of charitable giving could. Not everyone has been happy to have that conversation. Many even resent it, but these protests have reached people, especially white people, in a way that rivals the most powerful street demonstrations. The protests have been debated on sports radio, reaching an audience that has the luxury of not having to fear the police. After Trump attacked us, polls showed that even more people understood that the protests were about racism and police brutality, not about the president, free speech, or the flag. Even when others tried to coopt it, our message came through, and I think that’s because we were so disciplined. An organization could get out these messages even more effectively.
To outline my intentions, I drafted an opening declaration that read, in part,
We, the undersigned people from the world of sports, are claiming our place at the front lines of the fight for a better world. There is too much oppression, too much pain, and too much hate throughout this country, and we can no longer afford to be silent.
Athletes have a long history of being part of resistance movements. But often the athletes who speak out and take stands do so as individuals. Athletes United is an attempt to give an organizational expression to the voices for social justice in sports that have increasingly emerged over the last year. We can come together and support causes we care about vocally, organizationally, and financially, and in our numbers we will find an even greater strength.
The need for such collective organizing is especially urgent right now. In a manner unprecedented for at least a generation, athletes from all sports and all walks of life have been speaking out. We have been speaking out against racism, sexism, and homophobia. We have been speaking out against Trump’s travel ban. We have been advocating for education, youth programs, and services to support the communities we come from. We have been speaking out on local community issues in ways that never make the media.
Especially now, faced with a president who is increasing the divisions in this country, we must not only speak out but act.
Little did I know that while I was making plans to
