Why it is Important for Athletes to use their Platform
In our society today, sports is one of the most impactful ways to spread information and opinion on important events that are happening. Athletes using there platform are hoping to spread change and word on events that are happening. It is not just NBA using their voice, WNBA, NFL and MLB players.
Before a game in July, 2016, teammates on the Lynx addressed police conduct in the wake of the killings of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. Players wore black T-shirts during warmups with messages of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and were followed by members of other teams including the New York Liberty. The players were fined $500 each for violating the league’s uniform policy, while their teams were fined $5,000 apiece. Yet WNBA players did not stay silent. “We want to be able to use our platforms, use our voices,” Liberty guard and WNBA Players Association vice president Tanisha Wright said in reaction to the fines. The want to be able to spread awareness about important topics.
Also there have been NBA players using there voice to, like LeBron James. LeBron James made the headlines when he spoke his mind about the latest school shooting tragedy in Parkland, Florida. After talking about his political view on the shooting and other impactful events, people have told him he just needs to “shut up and dribble”. So LeBron fired back with he will not shut up and dribble and will use the platform to get his message across. This lead to James, alongside fellow superstars Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, criticized the racial tensions in the U.S. during the ESPYs in July 2016.
With how much our society is changing today and how many horrible events are happening, I believe that professional athletes should use their platforms. They are trying to spread word in a positive way, when every thing is happening in a negative way.
Work Cited
Bontemps, Tim. “NBA Commissioner: Players Are Free to Use Celebrity to Express Political Views.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 July 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/07/13/nba-commissioner-players-are-free-to-use-celebrity-to-express-political-views/?utm_term=.a211a0373ba9.
Bishara, Motez. “Women’s Basketball Players Take Powerful Stand on Social Justice.” CNN, Cable News Network, 4 Oct. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/10/04/sport/wnba-finals-social-protest-nfl/index.html.
O’Flynn, Desmond. “NBA Players Increasingly Use Platform to Voice Stance on National Issues.” Born2Invest, Born2Invest, 23 Feb. 2018, born2invest.com/articles/nba-players-national-issues/.
