On Wednesday, the NBA shut down in the middle of the playoffs, after the players decided that they would begin a strike. The work stoppage was to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and acknowledge the horrendous injustice brought upon Black people, like Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. However, this was not simply a couple of days of shutting down the NBA season. Reports filtered out that during a meeting the game’s biggest star, LeBron James, walked out ready to end the season entirely if something more than a single day’s work stoppage was going to be the only consequence of the players’ protest.
On Friday, the NBA and the players announced that they would resume the season on Saturday, but a “social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform,” would be “immediately” established. But that was not all.
The first order of business would be to do something material that might facilitate the logistics of our Democracy.
In every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team governors will continue to work with local election officials to convert the facility into a voting location for the 2020 general election to allow for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID. If a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving boards.
This is very good news. Activism is essential, even performative shows of resistance have their importance, but creating action out of demonstrations, boycotts, and strikes is what we are all hoping to achieve.
