Social Justice via Sports

This year and the next, the NCAA has decided to discriminate, but in a good way: discrimination against wrongdoing. The NCAA has banned numerous championships from being held in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The bans have been the result of North Carolina’s House Bill 2: a bill not allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of the sex they identify with. North Carolina’s House Bill 2 also does not allow workers who have been fired because of the color of their skin to bring the issue up in court. The absurd bill also does not allow anyone who has been fired because of their sex to sue. In an increasingly more progress world, bills like North Carolina House Bill 2 are viewed as ignorant and discriminatory, as they should. The NCAA has banned the 2017 All Star Game from being in Charlotte, along with many more tournaments. Even Duke University, a school with much to lose (because it is in North Carolina and it is one of the biggest basketball schools in the country) is supporting the audacious backout. These strong stances against discrimination that sports is starting join should be celebrated and continued as the fight for equal rights for all makes headway.

Throughout history, sports has been used as a tool for team building, sportsmanship, unification, and now, social justice. Sports are a part of everyday life for children in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Not only have schools made sports a major priority, but the fanbase for professional sports, especially in America, is huge. By having the NCAA join the fight against sexist bills such as the North Carolina House Bill 2, all fans of the many NCAA sports become aware of an issue that many may not have known about before. Not only does sports have the power to inform, but it has the ability to influence. Fans of basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis, and lacrosse (sports originally holding championship events in North Carolina) will be given a message of tolerance and acceptance. Popular sports players and teams are viewed as role models by millions. That is why these are essential messages for making change in states such as North Carolina with ridiculous bills.

Sports as a whole, not only the NCAA, has the chance to be an active and helpful vehicle for social progress. If sports can unify strangers to be a part of a fanbase community, it has the ability to provoke social change in our nation and in others. The NCAA sets the example for what we should all be doing, regardless of our ability level. Middle schools and high schools can have teams outwardly stand against discrimination. Professional sports players and franchises can rally and not play in states that are not accepting, such as North Carolina. We still have a problem around the world with tolerance, and it is not a luxury, it is a necessity. To make the world go round we need to work with those who may not be like us. While this has been an issue forever, I know that if the power of sports is harnessed to its full potential, the next stepping stone of progress will be right under our feet.