“Beyond the Game: Athletes Who Risked Everything for Justice”

For as long as injustice has existed, there have always been individuals willing to risk everything to confront it. In the world of sports, where fame brings visibility and platforms reach millions, some athletes have chosen courage over comfort. History shows us that whenever a people are marginalized, a hero eventually steps forward.

To the comfortable, courage looks like madness—yet to the oppressed, it looks like hope. In 2016, quarterback Colin Kaepernick quietly dropped to one knee during the national anthem. It wasn’t disrespect. It was a dignified protest rooted in a suggestion from a U.S. military veteran who told Kaepernick that kneeling—rather than sitting—was a respectful way to demonstrate. His purpose was clear: expose the ongoing reality of systemic racism and police brutality against Black and brown communities. The backlash was swift. He was booed, criticized, and eventually pushed out of the NFL.

But we must ask ourselves: what is it about a system that claims to love freedom and justice, yet fears peaceful protest? If a nation truly wants to heal, wouldn’t it first have to confront its own illness?

Almost fifty years before Kaepernick, Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War. He questioned why Black and brown young men should be sent to kill or die for a country that denied them basic human rights. For taking that stance, he was stripped of his heavyweight boxing title and his license to fight. Ali understood something we still struggle with today: moral courage often has a cost, but silence always has a consequence.

And who could forget Mexico City in 1968? Sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved fists during the Olympic medal ceremony—one of the most iconic images in sports history. It was not merely a moment; it was a declaration. Their gesture, seen around the world, symbolized the demand for human rights and the refusal to be silent.

Even today we see echoes of that bravery. Kyrie Irving publicly questioned injustice, wearing “I Can’t Breathe” shirts after the murder of Eric Garner and speaking out during the George Floyd protests. He raised awareness about Breonna Taylor and showed concern for the suffering in Palestine. Like many before him, he was attacked in media and politics for daring to speak truth.

We are witnessing a pattern. When Black athletes speak against injustice, when they remind the world that humanity must come before entertainment, they become targets of systems afraid of accountability. The same machinery that profits from their talents is quick to silence their conscience. Yet it is these very moments that reveal the leverage we possess. The NFL is predominantly driven by Black athletes. The NBA is the same. The Olympic stage has historically depended on Black excellence. Without us, the games do not shine the same.

Kaepernick’s kneel should have been our collective call to boycott. Had we unified in that moment, perhaps we would have held greater power in dismantling systemic injustice—just as the Civil Rights and Black Power movements demonstrated in the 1960s. We have the numbers, the culture, and the economic impact. What we sometimes lack is unity and discipline.

The struggle against injustice is global. While athletes protest oppression in America, genocide unfolds in Gaza. While media narratives distract us with sports and celebrity drama, families are disappearing in Sudan. Racism, colonization, and state violence are not relics of the past—they are active forces today.

Thanks to social media and cell phone recordings, the world now sees the truth unfiltered. This is why independent outlets such as The Final Call News Paper and other international news sources are vital. They are not owned by corporations that fear the truth.

We cannot afford to prioritize entertainment over humanity. Sporting events are a pastime—not a priority. The true priority is freedom, justice, and equality. A society that celebrates touchdowns while ignoring genocide has lost its soul.

Athletes like Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Colin Kaepernick, Kyrie Irving, and countless others remind us that change has always come from those willing to risk comfort for truth. They stood up not because it was safe, but because it was necessary.

If we truly want a better world, we must return to that 1960s spirit—disciplined, organized, and unwilling to compromise with injustice. We cannot divide ourselves by political party, religion, or ideology. The only true line that matters is between right and wrong.

We honor and thank every athlete, entertainer, journalist, organizer, and ordinary citizen who has taken a stand. May their courage inspire us to do more than applaud from a distance.

May it inspire us to act.

Peace.