America, Athletes, and Anti-Racism

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By Rachael Drew-Kinuthia

In this country, we as Americans sure love our sports and our movies. Several years ago, American consumers spent an average of $652 annually on admissions to the arts, movies, sporting events, and other entertainment and recreational activities. According to data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumers with incomes of $200,000 or more (before taxes) spent nearly 8 times more on entertainment admissions. Now before going further, I must admit I’ve had conversations with individuals who say they don’t care what a celebrity or athlete is doing or saying. They claim that their political or social stances don’t matter. While I acknowledge not having much of an interest in who is talking about the issues, I’m always happy to know of an athlete or celebrity who doesn’t want to ignore what’s going on in the world around them. We spend our money on being entertained by them. But they also represent all of our communities. Maverick Carter, friend and business partner of Lebron James, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, “I’m getting a lot of calls from other CEOs.

A lot of calls on, ‘What are you doing? What do you think we should be doing?’ I’m explaining to people, ‘Don’t treat this as a moment.’ This is bigger than a moment—the attention that issues of inequality are getting right now is “more like what this country should be, and what this world should be,” he said.

Then we hear of Colorado Rockies’ Ian Desmond, recently announcing that he will not play this season. Desmond did so at the end of an Instagram post that touched on systemic racism and a lack of inclusion in baseball’s management, among many other poignant thoughts. Among other things, Desmond wrote: “We’ve got a minority issue from the top down. One African American GM. Two African American managers. Less than 8% Black players. No Black majority team owners.” Yes, attention is being brought to a variety of opportunities for inclusion and taking a step back to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions. I’m not of the school of thought that says you should just shut up and play the game or shut up and act in your movies. Let’s be honest, these individuals have a larger platform and opportunity to help bring about change in people’s attitudes so, why not use that voice?

I was recently surprised, and disappointed, when observing comments and discussions on social media about movies that displayed old racist tropes and/or slavery mannerisms. The amount of upset over either these films temporarily being shelved, having disclaimers placed upon them, or taken out of circulation did not match any discussion or enthusiasm on what we should do next. I can go back to the work some athletes have been doing in the community and ask why can’t the rest of us look at ways to empower people? Let’s talk about voter rights being protected and preventing suppression, especially in Black communities. Let’s pressure the industry to give a voice to different creators and stop ignoring, or under serving, those from marginalized groups. I love how I’ve noticed more positive attention being given to Black voices, minds, writing, art, and so on.
Of course, Black Lives Matter is not really new. But as more have taken notice and understood their role in this movement, I’ve seen an effort by many to support the work that has always been a part of civil rights. We won’t forget or leave behind other communities of color, immigrants, and those in the LGBTQIA community either. When we make strides in equality, it helps all of America’s citizens. Let’s build up our nation’s citizens and network together. Whether we like to heed attention to athletes and celebrities or not, we certainly can’t ignore this movement towards progress anymore. Racism could still exist because it was highly adaptive. Because of this adaptability, we must be able to identify how it changes over time and adapt too. Statements of support and unity are lovely sentiments, but they tend to end the discussion and the learning that could come from sustained engagement.

I’ve heard it said, “There is no anti-racist certification class.” Yes, the work must go on, for that is what America will do to continue being a light. I leave you with the words of Ezra Lazarus, inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

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