- Voting & Democracy
Olympic Athletes Can Now Take a Stand for Justice
Color Of Change has long supported trailblazing Olympians in their fight to dismantle oppressive policies that silence Black athletes. So we applaud the decision by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to allow political expression like raised fists and kneeling during the anthem in Tokyo this summer. We met with the committee staff, sent letters, launched a campaign — and now athletes can don phrases like “Black Lives Matter” “equality” and “justice.” In 2016, we stood up for Colin Kaepernick taking a knee. Today we’re asking corporate sponsors to stand with Gwen Berry, the Pan-American gold medalist who was abandoned by sponsors and lost 80% of her income after she raised her fist on the awards podium. And we’ll keep fighting for Black athletes’ right to raise their voices without sacrificing their careers — demanding the International Olympic Committee drop Rule 50, the rule punishing athletes for speaking out. This is an important marker towards justice and equality within sports.