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Platforms for Protest: When Black Athletes Speak Up

A Stories and Voices program

In this talk, discover the historic and contemporary protests by Black athletes, and discuss the definitions, goals, and approaches to protest in the African American community.

Black athletes have a history of using their platforms—whether it be in the endzone, above the rim, up against the ropes, or at press conferences—to speak their truth to power. From the image of two Black male track athletes with fists in the air at the 1968 Olympics, to LeBron James being told to “shut up and dribble” by a prominent white female news anchor after he discussed politics, the voices of Black athletes make an impact.

LaToya Brackett is an associate professor of African American studies at the University of Puget Sound, where she also serves as a member of the leadership team for the Race & Pedagogy Institute. A scholar with two degrees in Black studies, one from Cornell University and the other from Michigan State, she is an interdisciplinarian who centers the Black experience.

Join us and learn about the histories, contributions, and lived experiences of those around us as we uplift community voices and explore stories that act as mirrors of our own lives and windows into experiences different from our own.

Presented through the Humanties Washington Speaker's Bureau program.

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