Colin Kaepernick

Because sports are inherently political and the industry is deeply intertwined with real-world issues, staying silent is simply out of the question.

As a global sports community, we have to fight better, and it takes both sides — the Olympic committees and the audience members alike — to support potential activism in the Olympic Games.

Having previously been at the forefront of social justice causes, including women’s rights and LGBTQ+ movements, the U.S. women’s national team must channel the same energy into the Black Lives Matter campaign if it wants to stay true to its slogan of “One Nation. One Team.”

Sports can be microcosms for social change, but only because they are microcosms of the inequalities that already exist.

Protesters staged Black Lives Matter demonstrations across Berkeley on Monday, including “Stand Out for Black Lives” — a gathering at Berkeley Arts Magnet elementary school.

Just as it has not been enough for businesses and localities to spew words condemning racism, police brutality and the death of George Floyd, it will not be enough for the NFL, especially considering its history of being actively complicit in maintaining “tradition” that hinders movement toward racial justice, or even discussion of it.

Many issues in the league come back to this — a seeming desire to conserve and protect the past, without questioning or analyzing who may have been hurt and who continues to be hurt by such practices.

According to Hill, her career began without the pointed social awareness for which she is so well known.

A lack of quarterback depth in the NFL this season highlights why Colin Kaepernick should be in the league now more than ever.

While the band already possesses enormous privilege, power and wealth, and when turning down the halftime show in no way would jeopardize the members’ careers, agreeing to the show is directly at odds with Colin Kaepernick’s objective — an objective he gave up a multi-million dollar career for.