Athletes and Coaches Stand Up for Democracy, Confronting Trump's Fascist Program

Strategic Insights -

As tanks and other military equipment rolled past the National Mall on Saturday, Jim Keady, a progressive activist and former graduate assistant men's soccer coach at St. John's University, led a protest against President Donald Trump's diminishing of the Constitution. Keady's fearless activism has been a hallmark of his career, from questioning then-New Jersey governor Chris Christie in 2014 to exposing St. John's University's complicity in sweatshop labor in the late 1990s. His message to Trump was clear: "Today, he has the unbridled audacity to try to use the military of the United States of America to send a message that the military belongs to him and not to the office of the president of the United States and to the Constitution of our republic."

Key Takeaways:

  • Jim Keady, a former graduate assistant men's soccer coach at St. John's University, led a protest against President Trump's diminishing of the Constitution, highlighting his fearless activism since the 1990s.
  • Keady's activism has been a hallmark of his career, from questioning then-New Jersey governor Chris Christie in 2014 to exposing St. John's University's complicity in sweatshop labor in the late 1990s.
  • Singer and social influencer Nezza, Latina of Colombian and Dominican descent, sang a version of the U.S. national anthem in Spanish at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, while Dodgers outfielder Kike Hernández spoke out about the situation in Southern California.
  • The professional women's basketball players, through their union, joined with soccer counterparts and issued a statement standing with those among us living in fear of deportation.
  • The Los Angeles-based Angel City FC in the NWSL wore T-shirts emblazoned with "Immigrant City Football Club" before their home game against North Carolina, and MLS's Los Angeles Football Club issued a statement celebrating the city's diversity.
  • The NCAA counted 264 international men's and women's college basketball players in last season's Division I tournaments, or 15 percent of the rosters.
  • Thirty percent of baseball players are from Latin America, while more than 5 percent of NFL players are sons of Africa, with many from Nigeria.

Statistics:

  • 264 international men's and women's college basketball players in last season's Division I tournaments, or 15 percent of the rosters (NCAA).
  • Thirty percent of baseball players are from Latin America.
  • More than 5 percent of NFL players are sons of Africa, with many from Nigeria.
  • 17 African countries have been targeted by the Trump administration's travel ban.
  • 125 foreign players on NBA rosters this season, including 17 from Africa.
  • 5 million people protested against the Trump administration's policies on Saturday, according to the ACLU.
  • 250,000 people attended the Trump parade, according to the Trump administration.

Sources:

  • The Athletic
  • Dartmouth classical historian Paul Christesen's text, "Sport and Democracy in the Ancient and Modern Worlds"
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers
  • The New Jersey State Assembly
  • The National Basketball Players Association
  • The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
  • The NCAA
  • The New York Times
  • The Washington Post