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If 2020 has brought an unprecedented reckoning around racial injustice in America, sports might be among the most impacted industries, a testing ground for just how far corporate brands can move into political discourse. NBA playoff games get canceled when players go on strike. A reckoning on Native American slurs forces the Washington Redskins to abandon their name. Tennis players like Naomi Osaka and WNBA teams wear Breonna Taylor’s name on jerseys and masks. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says he wishes he “had listened to Colin Kaepernick” when the rising star quarterback initiated a quiet on-field protest that resulted in him being exiled from his career.
Professional athletic leagues have been especially impacted by this year’s renewed focus on racism because so many players are impacted directly by that racism.
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