‘F*** this man, we’re sick of it!’: US boycotts once again put sport at forefront of fight for social justice

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In the United States there are a handful of events that have become iconic: Jackie Robertson running out to play first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, finally breaking baseball’s colour bar; Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising clenched, gloved fists on the podium after the 200 metres final at the Mexico Olympics in 1968; and Colin Kaepernick kneeling in silent protest during the “Star Spangled Banner” before NFL games to highlight racial injustice in America. “And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis.” So often sport is seen as a distraction from the real world but increasingly American athletes are becoming involved in political discourse. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player in the game’s history, famously refused to publicly endorse a black Democratic candidate in his home state of North Carolina in 1990, saying “Republicans buy sneakers, too.” Jordan’s modern counterparts have no qualms about alienating those who deny the existence of systemic racism or act as apologists for bigotry. We felt the best thing to do was to support that in not playing.” The NBA season could be cancelled The boycotts took place against the backdrop of violence on the streets of Kinosha, in which a 17-year-old vigilante shot two protestors dead, and the Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump accepted the party’s endorsement as presidential candidate for November’s election.