August is a time of revolution and social change. It’s a month when Black revolutionaries were born and Black revolutions fought.
From Marcus Garvey and Fred Hampton to the Haitian Revolution and Nat Turner’s Rebellion, August has been Black. In the 1970s, following the deaths of brothers Gorge and Jonathon Jackson and other incarcerated men fighting for their freedom, Black August was born.
While not a federally recognized holiday like February’s Black History month, Black August is a time to:
“honor political prisoners, freedom fighters, and martyrs of the Black freedom struggle…[especially those who]… have helped us understand that prison is political and that our collective freedom depends on abolishing the state’s capacity, through incarceration, policing, and surveillance” (Center for Constitutional Rights).
Black August is a time to remember, but it is also a time to act.
To continue the work of the Black leaders before us by pursuing the fight for social justice and change.
This August, in the aftermath of the Olympic Games and in the wake of natural disasters across the globe, it is obvious that some of those fighting the hardest for change continue to be athletes.
Black athletes to be specific.
Last weekend Haiti, the birthplace of the first successful revolt of enslaved people in the Western hemisphere, was rocked by a devastating earthquake. Five days later, the death toll topped 2,000 people.
Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka quickly responded to the tragic situation.
Osaka, who is Haitian and Japanese, announced she would donate any winnings from the Western and Southern Open to relief efforts in the country.
This is another example of Osaka’s commitment to just causes.
She proves time and time again that she will fearlessly speak truth to power, even in silent protest. From wearing the names of murdered Black folks on masks during matches to withdrawing from tournaments to preserve her mental health, Naomi embodies the spirit of Black August.
Athlete activists continue to fight for the freedom of incarcerated individuals, especially those who have been wrongfully incarcerated.
Maya Moore is one of those fighters.
The Minnesota Lynx star has skipped her WNBA seasons in order to pursue the fight for criminal justice reform.
A game-changer in more ways than one, Moore fought for the release of Johnathon Irons. She played a major role in Iron’s conviction being overturned and his ultimate freedom.
“I feel like I can live life now,” said Irons. “I’m free, I’m blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God’s help and influence.” He added: “I thank everybody who supported me — Maya and her family.”
Six months later, Moore and Irons were married.
From Naomi Osaka and Maya Moore to the WNBA dedicating their 2020 season (beginning in August) to #SayHerName and Breonna Taylor, Black sportswomen continue to lead the way in creating change through athlete activism.
At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Raven Saunders took silver in the shot put. The unabashed Black American track and field athlete delivered a message by forming an “X” with her arms above her head on the podium.
”It’s the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet,” said Saunders.
She did it to let people know that you need to be you.
“To be me. To not apologize,” she told the media after the event. “To show younger people that no matter how many boxes they try to fit you in, you can be you and you can accept it. People tried to tell me not to do tattoos and piercings and all that. But look at me now, and I’m poppin’.”
Raven, like Simone Biles, uses her platform to address issues of mental health within sport and society. It’s a necessary and growing conversation that still has a long way to go.
Nevertheless, this August, and the Augusts in the past, is Black. The month focuses on social justice, revolutionary ideas, and social change.
Change is coming, and many of the Black revolutionaries leading the way are and will be Black sportswomen.
So get on board or get out of their way.
