Tommie Smith at the 68 Olympics.

This is the animation for the winner of the animation raffle and it was such a great choice by @leojgilbert

This was one of the first moments America had to reckon with racial injustice being inextricably linked with sports. 52 years later, we’re having the same discussion again. For a lot of people, myself included, sports is an escape from the horrors of the world. But we all need to acknowledge these issues are intertwined and sports don’t happen in a vacuum. We need continually fight and strive for racial justice.

Although the return of sports (specifically the NBA) is fraught for many reasons right now, I hope we see some equally impactful statements from the players. I also hope that the leagues directly address systemic racism and commit to materially supporting the fight for racial justice.

walkertkl