Thursday - August 27, 2020 - Jacob Blake - Cancelled Sporting Events, & Everything: Accelerated.

Ninety-four days ago, following the murder of George Floyd by members of the Minneapolis Police Department, the public outcry created a wave of protests across the country; many of which were carried out with a strength, force, and sense of urgency and demand for change which, in sum, moved beyond the level of what anyone has seen, or felt over the last twenty years.

Millions of Americans, tired of being on lockdown due to efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19, and exhausted by the prospect of spending a summer locked inside and repeatedly walloped by news of the virus, which would not stop spreading and killing hundreds of thousands of their family members and friends, decided to focus their attention elsewhere: on racial injustice, systematic racism, and the ever-growing list of young black men and women who have been murdered by police officers across the country.

Calls to defund police departments grew in fervor, and racial justice organizations like Black Lives Matter and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, commanded a greater amount of focus and attention from the nation’s collective consciousness.

Personal, as well as professional social media accounts were flooded with black squares, posted by account holders to reflect their solidarity in the stand against racial injustice, and in the fight for greater equality.

People were waking up, and millions were being forced to confront realities that had long been either swept under the rug and kept quiet, or completely ignored. Remaining silent grew less and less acceptable. And vows to do better were made.

By the middle of July it was unclear whether the NBA season would resume, after it had been suspended in March due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Players had met to confer and discuss whether it made sense for them to keep playing basketball. Ultimately, the season was resumed on July 30th, with an abbreviated close to the regular season, as well as a condensed playoff format; all of which would be held in a “bubble” in Bay Lake, Florida. And for a while, the games went on as scheduled.

Then on August 23rd, 2020, a young black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake (29), was shot seven times in the back by members of the Kenosha Police Department, and paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Three days later, on August 26th, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. Thereafter, the two other playoff games scheduled for the day, the Los Angeles Lakers v. the Portland Trailblazers, and the Houston Rockets v. the Oklahoma City Thunder, were postponed.

The Milwaukee Bucks players issued a statement:

“The past four months have shed a light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our African American communities. Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings. 

“Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.

“When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement.

“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable. For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform. We encourage all citizens to educate themselves, take peaceful and responsible action, and remember to vote on Nov. 3."

And the team’s owners issued their own statement, in support of their players’ position:

“We fully support our players and the decision they made. Although we did not know beforehand, we would have wholeheartedly agreed with them. The only way to bring about change is to shine a light on the racial injustices that are happening in front of us. Our players have done that and we will continue to stand alongside them and demand accountability and change.”

Yet, prepared written statements released to the press are always topped by in-the-moment quotes from men who are speaking the truth, and speaking from their hearts. Milwaukee Bucks’ guard, George Hill, said it best:

“We’re tired of the killings and the injustice. We can’t do anything [from Orland]. First of all, we shouldn’t have even come to this damn place, to be honest. I think coming here just took all the focal points off of what the issues are.”

As of this morning, there were reports that the NBA season might not continue, as the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers, including one of the NBA’s most talented players, and certainly, its prominent voice, Lebron James, voted to end the NBA season.

More recently, these talks have been resolved, and the league is set to continue its bubble season.

Yet, even amongst the decision to keep playing, what can’t be lost is the fact that decisions are being made more quickly, and calls for change are being made more loudly. In early June, the league didn’t know what to do, whether to hold off on playing, or to go forward. And weeks passed before a decision was made.

However, in late August, the Milwaukee Bucks made a clear statement, and they made it quickly: we’re not going out there; and we’re not playing. It didn’t take them a month to decide. It only took three days.

Yesterday, the WNBA; MLS; the MLB; as well as No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player Naomi Osaka joined in with the Bucks in bringing awareness to racial injustice and demanding change, rather than playing ball.

And although the NBA season, for now, is moving forward, the call for change, as well as the dramatic actions that are being taken in order to bring about change are happing with less hesitation, and are happening more rapidly. Everything is being accelerated.