Black athletes who became activists

February is Black History Month, and the theme for this year’s event is Black Resistance. Over the years, many Black athletes have used their public profile to call out racist conventions and advocate for justice and equality. Here are a few who bravely resisted the societal pressures that suggest Black athletes should keep quiet about political and social issues.

Serena Williams
This tennis star is a vocal advocate for Black women, highlighting issues like equal pay and investing millions into businesses owned by Black female entrepreneurs.

Florence Griffith Joyner
Flo Jo shattered world and Olympic track and field records in 1988. Her unique personal style redefined what it meant to be a Black female athlete.

Jessie Owens
Owens won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and smashed Adolf Hitler’s convictions regarding white superiority.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos
After winning Olympic medals in 1968, these two sprinters raised black-gloved fists in the air as a salute to the Black Power movement. They also co-founded The Olympic Project for Human Rights.

Colin Kaepernick
In 2016, this NFL quarterback knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. He lost his job at the end of the season, and no team would sign him afterward.

Simone Biles
This 25-year-old Olympic gold-medal gymnast is a vocal advocate for mental health issues.

Jackie Robinson
The first African American to play Major League Baseball, Robinson became a prominent civil rights activist after his retirement from the sport in 1956.

These are just some of the many Black athletes who’ve spoken up against systemic racism and social injustice. Others include Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Jason Collins and Bubba Wallace.

Athlete protests in the United States can be dated back to as early as the 1800s.

: Photo: Bob Sandberg, Look photographer