CSUN On Point

San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick re-ignited athlete-driven protests with his stand against police brutality, and he’s empowered many other athletes to speak out.

In 2015, The Washington Post documented close to a thousand fatal shootings by police, ninety-three of which involved people who were unarmed. Black men accounted for about forty percent of the unarmed people fatally shot by police, and were seven times as likely as unarmed white men to die from police gunfire.

Now the argument over whether or not professional and collegiate athletes should be able to use their platform as a personal means of expression has become a large national issue.

This isn’t a new movement. Athletes like Mohammed Ali and 1968 Olympic Medalist Tommie Smith are known for making athlete-driven statements decades ago.

Since athletes are technically at work when they decide to make these protests, the debate stems from whether or not they should be penalized for doing so.

“Some of them may feel they are not at that level to take that risk,” CSUN Africana Studies Professor David Horne said. “[Their employers might say] ‘we expect you to not conduct yourself in a way that would embarrass the team or the business’.”

But athletes have only their professional platforms to make a statement. Whether they are in an interview or on the field, they have a limited amount of airtime, but they often have a large following.

“It’s their right to do so,” said Reverend Jewett Walker, President of 100 Black Men of Los Angeles. “If someone chooses to do that, I think we should embrace that, honor that, and respect it.”

Many athletes have messages that aren’t meant to start controversy.

“My responsibility was to be an example,” said CSUN Women’s Basketball Coach, and former college basketball player, Jason Flowers, “so somebody that had the same background as me could look [at me] … and say ‘that person was able to succeed, and I’m capable of it too’.”

Moderator: Jordan Williams

Anchor: Kiesha Phillips

Producer: Daniel Saad

Social Media Editors: Delmy Moran and Celene Zavala

Reporters: Delmy Moran, Brittni Perez, Kiesha Phillips, Daniel Saad, Jordan Williams and Celene Zavala

Ever since the Los Angeles Lakers left the Forum for Staples Center in 1999, the city of Inglewood has been missing a sports team.

But now, the Saint Louis Rams are returning to the sunny state; NFL owners voted voted 30-2 in favor of the move, and announced the team’s comeback to settle in Inglewood, California.

“All of those things came together,” said Marc T. Little, President of Inglewood/Airport Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Board of Directors. “The Forum being sold to Madison Square Garden, which sent a message to the development community that anything can happen in Inglewood; Mayor Butts leading and uniting a divided city council, that sent another message that deals could get [made]; and then ultimately, the moxie of the owners of Hollywood Park: getting that property entitled was no small feat.”

In the past couple of years, many groups were working to bring football back to Los Angeles, arguing that a football team is good for fans and for the economy.

“Potentially there could be a fair number of jobs for the local area,” said CSUN Department of Urban Studies and Planning Robert Kent. “[But] it’s important to note that the benefits are [often] over-promised, and sometimes there’s not as many jobs as the hype would have it.”

Still Inglewood offers a lot to any team. LAX is nearby, and three freeways, the 405, the 110 and the 105, are also in the area to help traffic flow to football games.

“Inglewood is ideal for a lot of reasons for the stadium: the proximity to LAX, the proximity to three freeways, a city that is known for sports,” Little said, ” and a community that has voted to allow it. All of those things together make football very, very promising for our city.”

The Rams’ return to Inglewood offers more than jobs, business, and sports for area residents.

“It gives them role models,” Inglewood High School Football Coach James Sims said. “You’ll have some Rams [players] that will definitely come be a part of the [high school] program, to do public speaking…to run a camp at the high school. And that’s my main concern with the Rams coming in, how will the schools benefit from it.”

The Rams are expected to start next season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and play there until the new $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood is complete.

The NFL owners’ vote also included a provision to allow a one-year option for the San Diego Chargers to join the Rams at the new stadium.

“The community is behind it,” Little said. “And I think we’re all looking forward, and we’re all excited.”

Moderator: Harry Abelson

Anchor: Anna Logan

Producer: Harry Abelson

Social Media Editors: Glenna Dixon, October Primavera

Reporters: Harry Abelson, Jasmin Dalton, Glenna Dixon, Kiara Draper, Anna Logan, October Primavera