The Blue Tsunami that tore through the U.S. on Tuesday night was a clear sign that the country demands new leadership and change.
And when the slew of Democrats take office next year and start to work for the people who elected them, there is one group they need to pay particular attention to for it has been ignored for far too long.
Black athletes, particularly young ones.
Over the past few months, we have watched Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Todd Gurley II and and Marlon Humphrey bend the knee to support Tr**p, a man who has unapologetically attacked those who share the same melanin as those athletes.
And those are just the ones bold enough to publicly demonstrate their support for a man who accused Black people of aiming to “steal your money for reparations,” and whose policies have directed contributed to 600,000 Black women becoming jobless.
Unfortunately, money has blinded far too many Black athletes into recognizing the harm Tr**p does and they continue to be enamored by his celebrity.
But now is the time for Democrats to reach and engage with Black athletes.
No longer can we afford to let them be victims of the brainwashing, “smile in your face but stab you in the back” politics and straight up lies that have lured them to support people who care nothing for them except to exploit their celebrity.
And it’s even more crucial that the outreach is directed towards the younger generation of Black athletes.
They have been recruited and used for their athletic talents and influence, and with the legalization of NIL and the continued evolution of college sports, the money they’re exposed to continues to grow. While that’s great for their financial futures, it comes at the cost of education, self-awareness, history and reality.
AAU ball, sports camps and big high school programs have become bigger considerations for families, and financial literacy programs are now complementing these programs as well.
That education is essential, for we’ve witnessed the horror stories of athletes wasting their money during their careers.
Yet these athletes, and so many others, are no longer taught civics, history or other courses that foster awareness and develop critical thinking skills.
Indianapolis Colts DB Sauce Gardner is proof of that.
In 2024, after the assassination attempt on Tr**p, Sauce displayed his ignorance for all to see.
“In all honesty, I never voted before and am unfamiliar with politics, but I do think it’s odd to judge people based on who they vote for. Maybe it’s not odd and I just don’t understand because I’m not familiar with it. Somebody fill me in,” posted Sauce on X.
Knowing that he was 24 at the time and said he had never voted before is a sad thing and reflective of too many.
But all is not lost.
Many college and pro athletes have used their NIL funds and salaries, respectively, to benefit families and communities in need.
And in 2024, Kamala Harris formally engaged athletes, so the foundation and pathway is there.
But MAGA plays a different game when it comes to Black athletes, and its time Democrats respond an engage with those whose lives and brain cells being wasted by supporting a group that wants nothing more than to oppress those who look like them.
To see Mike Tyson support Tr**p simply because he used to host his fights in Atlantic City is sad because Tr**p bankrupted Atlantic City casinos and damaged both the city and his investors.
As president, Tr**p ignores the norm of sitting presidents attending live games. To him, wherever he can bask in the most attention is where he will be, and one of those places is college sports, particularly during SEC events.
He’s also exploited the community of religious Black athletes, particularly in collegiate wrestling.
In 2023, Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks won his fourth NCAA title and then insulted Islam.
“It’s everything. Christ resurrections and everything. Not just his life, but his death and resurrection,” said Brooks to ESPN after being asked about the role his faith plays in his career. “You can only get that through him, it will be spread only through him. No false prophets, no Muhammad nor anyone else. Only Jesus Christ himself.”
Two years later, Tr**p returned to the White House and, two months after being sworn in, he attended the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. I was there and saw the massive anti-Tr**p protests surrounding the arena. But inside he was generally welcomed by fans and, sadly, I watched Black wrestlers run over to shake his hand after their matches.
Tr**p’s attacks on education have successfully destroyed critical thinking and the hampered the teachings and history of Black America in general. He and his evil supporters have effectively convinced Black athletes like Todd Gurley and Marlon Humphrey that he’s their friend and they support him despite every sign that he’s playing them for absolute fools.
Far too many Black athletes have lost their sense of self and have become so focused on earnings that they have lost the desire to fight for equal rights like athlete activists of the past did.
To them, their bank accounts are helping them write a new future devoid of responsibility, civility and common sense.
But those who follow the orange one are doomed to fail for the Tr**p Kiss of Death in Sports is real, and it continues to plague those who follow him.
This is why the time is now is the time to interact with, listen to and educate Black athletes. Teach them that money can’t make up for a lack of intelligence and understanding for while the bright lights of their athletic careers will dim, their skin color won’t.
A concerted effort to work with Black athletes can both help rebuild this country and prevent them from following the paths of Lawrence Taylor, Hershel Walker, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and others.
Black athletes can be a powerful foundation of support, so work with them to make the future brighter- literally.
