The historical significance of Colin Kaepernick Reclaiming Blackness and radical ideology in sport

By: Taylor Zachary ~Columnist~ After the Black Power Salute of the 1968 Olympics, the strong presence of the radical Black athlete disappeared from virtually every sports arena. I suppose this is, in large part, due to the comfort and complacency of the Black middle class following the conclusion of the Civil Rights Era. Black athletes found themselves in need of a new argument for liberation. As racism became more subtle, integrated sports teams, programs and policies became tolerable. Additionally, in the 70s and 80s Black athletes were introduced to an unprecedented territory of socioeconomic mobility: corporate sponsorship. William Rhoden, a … Continue reading The historical significance of Colin Kaepernick Reclaiming Blackness and radical ideology in sport

Who is teaching our Black athletes? Centering Blackness in political education

By: Taylor Zachary ~Columnist~ Recent commentary on activism among Black athletes asserts that Black athletes should not be compelled to speak simply because they are called upon – and I agree. Let’s take in consideration the #NoJusticeNoLebron campaign in December of 2015. Writer and activist Tariq Touré created the hashtag to call on LeBron James to lead a collective sit out until the Department of Justice indicted the murderers of Tamir Rice. Not only did LeBron not do so, his response illustrated he knew very little about the case. While some might say that James was within his right not … Continue reading Who is teaching our Black athletes? Centering Blackness in political education