Police Shootings Athletes Speak Out

Milwaukee Brewers Devin Williams chose to make a statement during his team’s baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds. As he walked up to the mound to pitch, he used his cleats to inscribe “BLM” in protest of the continual injustice Blacks across the country continue to face. Williams, 25, is a relief pitcher for the Brewers. The Milwaukee team plays about an hour's distance away from Kenosha, WI where the most recent incident of police brutality occurred. Many other athletes are taking moments during their careers to act and speak out against the injustices and police brutality of blacks in this season of sports and, as some did before. After a game against the Houston Rockets, pro basketball player Chris Paul used his time with a sideline reporter to speak about the recent shooting of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times by police in Kenosha, WI instead of answering questions about the night’s game. Sports leaders and athletes like Coach Doc Rivers, LeBron James, and a host of others are also using their platform to speak out about the unjust treatment of blacks in America. “It’s just so sad. You know, what stands out to me is just watching the Republican (National) Convention, and they’re spewing this fear, right. Like, all you hear is Donald Trump and all of them talking about fear. We’re the ones getting killed. We’re the ones getting shot. We’re the ones who are denied to live in certain communities. We’ve been hung. We’ve been shot. And all you do is keep hearing about fear. It’s amazing. Why do we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back.” said Doc Rivers in an emotion address.