The growth of the Black Lives Matter movement through the 2010s catalyzed a resurgence of Black activism in professional sports that had its climax in 2020 with the athletes’ boycott following the shooting of Jacob Blake. Just a few years later, this energy seems to have dissipated. What happened, and how can we comprehend these recent events in the longer arc of Black activism in sports? Sports journalist and author Howard Bryant joins Dave Zirin on ‘Edge of Sports’ for a look at the build-up to 2020 and how many athletes’ politics were co-opted in the aftermath. Later in the show, Zirin shares some ‘Choice Words’ about the social cost of smartphone sports gambling becoming the economic lifeblood of sports. And in our segment ‘Ask a Sports Scholar’, Zirin speaks with Hofstra University Professor Brenda Elsey, whose research focuses on the development of women’s soccer internationally, as the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament approaches.
Howard Bryant is the author of ten books, including the forthcoming ‘Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America’. He has been a senior writer for ESPN since 2007 and has served as the sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday since 2006.
Dr. Brenda Elsey is a professor of history at Hofstra University, where she focuses on the history of popular culture and politics in twentieth century Latin America, in addition to gender, social theory, sports, and Pan-Americanism. She is the author of ‘Futbolera: Women and Sport in Latin America’.
Studio Production: David Hebden, Cameron Granadino
Post-Production: Taylor Hebden
Audio Post-Production: David Hebden
Opening Sequence: Cameron Granadino
Music by: Eze Jackson & Carlos Guillen
Watch the ‘Edge of Sports with Dave Zirin’ live YouTube premiere on The Real News Network every Wednesday at 7PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/@therealnews
The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us continue producing ‘Edge of Sports with Dave Zirin’ by following us and making a small donation:
Donate to TRNN: https://therealnews.com/donate-yt-eos
Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-yt-eos
Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
#EdgeOfSports #EdgeOfSportsTV #therealnewsnetwork
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Malcolm X warned about trying to ask Black celebrities what their opinions are on political issues all the time. 1) they're usually pushed away from the larger Black community in order to use their talents to "get out." 2) they're not given the political and intellectual weaponry to understand not only why their community is the way it is, but not given the same weaponry to understand the way the world is.
Our country is an entertainment based society rather than an educational one, and whenever some issue comes up, they almost automatically go to Black entertainers. They hardly ever ask white entertainers/athletes their thoughts on the same issues.
OMG I was just talking about that. As a Black American I'm thinking this is EXACTLY the time that those who have a Finger on the pulse to Stand the fk Up and say something. I know my Culture LOVES "QUEEN B" Jay Z is Beyond rich ok I get it. But ppl like that. Don't Face the shit we in Reg. America Face right now. But they sure Get our last to By something they Advertise buy a Ticket ðŸŽŸï¸ hell some defend there Actions Just because they see them on Tv. And Don't mind missing Dinner to Buy an Item, to show Love. So yes when ppl are Loosing the Way they are ppl like them… Not just Those but since we have honored them KING AND QUEEN 1ST to pop in my head. Especially!!!!!!!!!
If you Know and Understand. The neighborhoods ppl are from, so you get…. they, don't Know and Understand how things have to work to make it out. And doesn't Include…, not Thinking understanding and Changing. Ya know. Like You realized you had to change Your minds to advance out your Circumstance. Politics is not the Sex Talk damn. And not saying direct a Side. JST simply put it out there how important it is to Vote 4 Who… Be Damn? Don't care JST understand and Hear what the hell these ppl are saying. It does matter so DO IT.
I'm JST at home but ✊🾠I so LOOOOOve Collin K. Omgawd LuV 💞💗💗💗💗💗 ðŸ‘ðŸ¾THANK YOU 😘
I think Black Lives Matter was a good idea but why is it not All Lives Matter?? I mean we are all Human and we all know skin color is just pigmentation so we are all the same and I know a few Blind people who will say I am right!
And thats another thing if Humans were all Blind there never would have been a Black and White Devide!!!
RiRi and the football players in the 2023 SuperBowl had a chance to rebel by stopping the spectacle mid show & professing their demands, like end Qualified Immunity & legalize weed on the Federal level. They could have started a strike until these goals were won.
Another Black Sox Scandal awaiting to happen?!?
Sports gambling equates to every game being rigged. If bets can be placed on sports the integrity of those sports is lost irrevocably. In the socialist future there is no place for professional sports, but the facilitation and endorsement of community and amateur athletics. Workers stand with the oppressed peoples of the world, unite!
What happened is Obama made a phone call to LeBron and told him to shut up and dribble. They went from "Black Lives Matter" and "Defund The Police" to "Vote Biden" the next second.
They couldn't grift it any longer so they stopped. Now they grift lgbt.
True equality in outcomes must come from equality of effort and equality of ability. Anything else is, itself, injustice. However, I could not care less about organized sports, since – as the great Charles Barkley once said – "I am not a role model." Only idiots consider athletes to be moral authorities.
We’ll spotted but the MSM want us to look the other way! Barb
Another Excellent program! Bravo to every hardworking soul who helped make it all possible!
Real news network
In 1936, Germany crushed all other competing nations, winning 101 total medals, almost doubling USA's 57.
It was a total joke.. Multi millionaires crying discrimination. . How? ? All while supporting everything China tells the sellouts what to do & say. The NBA is the biggest of the sell-out pro leagues..
BLM took your money and ran. They haven't done anything for actual regular black folks
Like actors, sports stars are multimillionaires. As a highly privileged class, they have no real solidarity with workers, the poor, or minorities.