By Jon Queally/Common Dreams
A gold medalist hammer thrower and a member of the gold medal-winning men’s U.S. fencing team staged individual protests during ceremonies at the Pan Am Games over recent days to call attention to their country’s racism, mistreatment of immigrants, and ongoing gun violence epidemic.
and a president who spreads hate are at the top of a long list.
I chose to sacrifie my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed. I encourage others to please use your platforms for empowerment and change.— Race Imboden (@Race_Imboden) August 10, 2019
Imboden wasn’t alone in protest at the Games. On Saturday, hammer thrower Gwen Berry raised her fist in protest on the podium as the “The Star-Spangled Banner” played following her gold medal win.
U.S. hammer thrower Gwen Berry raises her fist at the end of the national anthem at the Pan Am Games today. (h/t @sergeta) pic.twitter.com/gnBCEEDN1m
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) August 11, 2019
Second podium protest has now taken place at #Lima2019. American hammer throw gold medallist Gwen Berry raises her fist on the podium, in a similar action to the “Black Power” salute carried out by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the Mexico City 1968 #Olympic Games. #PanAmGames https://t.co/VMpDzu0Fd3
— Nancy Gillen (@Nancy_Gillen) August 11, 2019
As USA Today sports columnist Nancy Armour points out:
The life of an Olympic athlete is one of endless sacrifice.
For hammer thrower Gwen Berry and fencer Race Imboden, their principles won’t be among them.
Berry and Imboden are almost sure to be disciplined for their protests on the medals stand at the Pan American Games. Berry raised her fist during the “The Star-Spangled Banner” after winning gold Saturday, one day after Imboden took a knee during the men’s team foil medals ceremony.
“Somebody has to talk about the things that are too uncomfortable to talk about. Somebody has to stand for all of the injustices that are going on in America and a president who’s making it worse,” Berry told USA Today Sports on Saturday night.
“It’s too important to not say something,” Berry added. “Something has to be said. If nothing is said, nothing will be done, and nothing will be fixed, and nothing will be changed.”
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee said Saturday it was “disappointed” Imboden had broken a pledge the U.S. team athletes take concerning political demonstrations, warning that “consequences may result.”
Despite the predictable backlash from right-wingers who accused both Imboden and Berry of being insufficiently patriotic, Armour argues such sentiments clearly miss the point.
“We praise athletes from foreign countries for their courage when they protest against their broken and corrupt governments,” she writes. “Is the America of 2019 so much different?”
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Previously:
* Don’t Be Surprised If Colin Kaepernick Prompts More Schoolchildren To Sit For The Pledge Of Allegiance.
* Why Colin Kaepernick Matters.
* Your Turn: Colin Kaepernick’s Protest.
* Youth Football Team (8-Year-Olds) Take Knees In Belleville.
* Taking A Knee In Trump Country.
* Black Athletes Can Teach Us About More Than Just Sports.
* A Long History Of Protest For Black Athletes.
* Which Side Are You On? | Donald Trump And The NFL’s Rich White Owners Vs. Colin Kaepernick, African Americans And People Against Unjustified Police Killings.
* Beto O’Rourke’s NFL Comments Have Gone Viral.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on August 12, 2019