Sideline Extra #1
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Sideline Extra is our quarterly digital magazine. The theme for the launch issue – Black Lives Matter – was selected in order to capture this extraordinary moment in both sporting history and the ongoing fight for racial justice.
Editor’s Letter
Back in the summer of ‘16, I – like many others – watched in admiration as the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx donned Black Lives Matter shirts honouring Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
A month later, Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. He made global headlines, attracting a wave of support – and not a little backlash – worldwide.
Four years on, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the summer seemed to last forever.
Since George Floyd’s killing in May, Black Lives Matter protests have gone global. Athletes have been kneeling in support and wearing the phrase on jerseys and shirts, while others have boycotted games and attended protest marches.
In this launch issue of Sideline Extra, we look at champion athletes who have carried the torch of racial justice and #BLM off the field.
On the field, those were the best days of their lives.
Joe Ruzvidzo, Editor.
Contents
Prior to the WNBA tipping off in July, the league dedicated the season to Breonna Taylor and the Say Her Name movement, which raises awareness for black female victims of police violence. The Storm dominated it.
Marcus Rashford has become an MBE, scored his first hat-trick, and successfully pressured UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to offer free school meals to vulnerable children over the holidays – twice.
Lewis Hamilton is Formula One’s most successful driver – and a dedicated Black Lives Matter activist. He’s won the most races in history, with more pole positions, points finishes and podiums than anyone.
The 2020 season, in which the Lakers won their 17th title and LeBron James earned his fourth Finals MVP, may be remembered more for how the NBA and its players used their platform to combat racial injustice.
Naomi Osaka wore a facemask bearing the names of victims of police brutality and racial violence for each of the seven rounds of the US Open. She arrived at the final bearing the name of Tamir Rice, and won.
Since the death of George Floyd, many American athletes and leagues have been throwing their support behind the Black Lives Matter movement, demanding change. Athletes around the world have joined the call.
