Athlete Upstanders & the Role of Activism in Sports

From breaking long-standing color barriers to the Black Lives Matter movement, there is a long history of sports activism in pursuit of racial justice. For the athlete upstanders who lead these movements, however, there is also a long history of backlash and public opposition.

This timely conversation, featuring Olympic gold medalist and renowned activist Dr. Tommie Smith, retired NBA athlete and member of the Memphis Grizzlies ownership team Elliot Perry, and retired athlete and WNBA executive Bethany Donaphin, will connect historical sports activism to modern day protests and ask what we can all learn from the athlete activists who choose to take a stand.

This is the fifth installment in the year-long Facing History Now: Conversations on Equity and Justice virtual event series.