Column Archive

Toni Smith-Thompson Comes Home Again

Manhattanville College welcomed back the activist athlete who turned her back to the national anthem in 2003 thanks to students who saw themselves in her struggle.

Colin Kaepernick Gets His Chance—and It’s Tough to Care

If Kaepernick is in fact signed by the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL media machine will work in overdrive to rewrite history.

When “Jackie Robinson” Is Used as a Racial Slur

What happened at Yankee Stadium is not about one incident. It’s about how Major League Baseball chooses to remember Robinson’s legacy.

The “Brutal Solidarity” Between Buffalo and Palestine

The violence that has visited Buffalo’s Black community and the Palestinian mourners of Shireen Abu Akleh speaks to the commonality of their oppression.

On Abortion Rights, the Athletes Will Not Save Us

Athletes can amplify struggle, but we are going to need to lead ourselves. 

Finally a Change of Strategy in the Push for Brittney Griner’s Freedom

The State Department is at long last seeing the basketball star as the “wrongfully detained” person she is.

Trevor Reed’s Freedom Should Spur Calls to Release Brittney Griner

Griner’s supporters should use the activism of Reed’s parents as a road map.

Portland Soccer Fans Assert Their Power

Fans in the Rose City are bringing their protests inside the stadium.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

In Defense of Winning Time

Laker legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West are none too happy with the new HBO series. But there is much to be said for it.

Jackie Robinson’s Last Fight

As baseball celebrates the 75th anniversary of Robinson’s breaking the color line, it’s worth remembering a man at odds with his own myth.