Today, August 28 is Jackie Robinson Day in the MLB, a day to honor the legacy of Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Jackie Robinson Day is normally April 15, but with the short season, it’s been pushed back to today.
August 28 however is not just some random date pulled out of a hat. It is the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and the date in 1945 when Jackie Robinson first met with Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey.
So I pose the question as players and teams opt out of games to raise awareness — should teams cancel or delay games in protest or should MLB teams honor Jackie Robinson today?
The Players Alliance (a group of over 100 Black current and former baseball players), announced that they would be donating their salaries from the games on August 27 and 28 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. But do we honor him again by playing the game, or do we honor him by demanding equality and the wish for law enforcement to stop shooting Black people? This seems to be a double edged sword that Black athletes receive and are told to deal with.
As of Wednesday, players in the WNBA, NBA and MLB refused to play as a way to bring light to the racial injustices happening in our country after the shooting of Jacob Blake. Blake, now paralyzed after seven shots to the back in his car, in front of children, is yet another name added to an ongoing list of Black people being shot by law enforcement.
Players like LeBron James have often been told to “shut up and dribble” after speaking up about injustices. Owners are allowing for mostly empty platitudes like shirts or the words “Black Lives Matter” where advertisers typically land for a game.
Canceling games brought on a new level of protest as many fans realized athletes aren’t just here for their entertainment and have a voice and a huge platform to use. The Chicago Sky wore shirts reminding the country of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman that was murdered in her sleep. The Washington Mystics wore shirts with seven bloody bullet holes on their back and on the front, individual letters spelling out Jacob Blake.
So where do we go from here? Do we cancel seasons? Do we lock arms with our teammates and continue to use our platform to fight the racial injustices?
I unequivocally support any athlete that uses their platform and decides to cancel a game, a season, or donate their pay. They are role models and they’re really taking a stand right now. So if MLB players decide to take a stand and not play tonight, I believe they’re making the right call. If they play tonight, I still believe they’re making the right call. It’s not a situation that has one right answer. Honoring a legend like Jackie Robinson comes in many forms, and perhaps the best way is to stand up against the police brutality that is killing and injuring people of color.