Protests Against Racism Have Changed Sports as We Know It

Howard Bryant is the author of nine books including his latest, Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field. He's also a senior writer for ESPN the Magazine and is a correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition. He joined us La Vida Baseball Live to talk about professional sports recent pivot to embrace conversations around race, equality and social justice.

Since the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, the world has stood in solidarity against systemic racism and the collective streets have in protest. Every North American professional sports league has issued a statement on the issue of racial injustice. Will the recent attention to this institutional problem lead to change?

On athletes being allowed to protest.

Will broadcasters shift their focus to include issues of social justice?

Why have Black athletes been punished for being outspoken?