there's some of the most iconic images from the past
decade in sports and they've taken place off the field
outside the arena before tip off. But before these
athletes spoke up there was him and her and them all of
them, there was Paul Robeson who was benched by his own
football coach at Rutgers University in 1916 when an
opposing coach refused to have his team take the field
against a black opponent. Robin went on to become an
all american class valedictorian and activists. Th
was a wealthy a Gibson in 1950, she became the first
woman to compete in the US Open. And a quarter of a
century later there was yells, women's crew teen, they
staged a demonstration to protest their subpar
facilities. So how do we go from then to now We will
not be silenced understand where everybody's co
from. Like our community is fed up, you know, they fed
up right now, but there's different ways that you can
go about it and I'm here to kind of lead that, you know,
to the, to the right path. Like all progress in spor
It took practice and much of the foundation for today's
athletes speaking out was born in the 1960s with this
man. Well, we don't believe that uh, violence with the
intent to kill is right. This is why we don't
participate in no wars, Muhammad ali, heavyweight
champion, olympic gold medalist and a conscientious
objector who refused to be drafted into the U.S.
Military during the Vietnam war. They say that actually
every time that I enter the ring in a way I'm going to
walk. They say to me daily, you are a prizefighter,
what's the difference And I'd like to say to those
critics of the press and to the others that there is
one hell of a lot of difference in fighting in the r
and going to war in Vietnam Ali was stripped of his
titles and sentenced to prison, a decision which was
eventually overturned. But his stance set the stage for
other athletes and new forms of protest At the 1968
Summer Olympics. It was the podium, not the performance
that was memorable. After the 200 m men's final, Tommie
smith and john Carlos raised their fists to silently
demonstrate against racial discrimination. Each act
opened the door for another. In 1973, Billie Jean King
Help tennis find even footing among the sexes. And she
founded the Women's Tennis Association. Fast forward to
today and athletes continue to speak out about issues
impacting them as athletes is on us to challenge each
other to do even more than what we already do in our
own communities. But athletes from prior generations
didn't just set the stage. So today's athletes coul
speak out about some injustices they did it. So
athletes could speak out period over the last decade,
athletes have spoken out about the right to get paid
and unequal pay despite all the wins. I'm still paid
less than men who do the same job that I do. They've
exposed sexual harassment in their sport. My teammates
and friends have been through enough and now it's time
for change because the current and future journalists
do not deserve to live in anxiety, fear or be
unprotected. Like I was and torn down the stigma about
openly discussing mental health and depression. It's
okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to
focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a
competitor and person that you really are. In some ways.
Many of today's fights mirror those of prior
generations and calls and commitment. I stand on the
shoulders of Giants. No, I never had the pleasure of
meeting Muhammad Ali. He mentored me without ever
meeting me. He in many ways laid the foundation of wha
I saw as the senate of athlete activism. And today'
athletes have those who came before them to thank for
taking the first steps. Mm hmm.