What a world we live in today. The COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc on this country and all of humanity on the planet, the political parties in the United States have never been so far apart, and the Black community continues to deal with racial inequality in this country. The traffic death of George Floyd has spurred a renewed interest and protests surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement.
In light of the events of 2020, and prior, social activism is now at the forefront of the conversations in the U.S., and the NCAA is taking a stand.
On Friday, the NCAA Board of Governors releases a statement of encouragement for the movements of today. In it, there was encouragement for athletes to take a stand, and for institutions to move to assist student-athletes in registering to vote. It also set November 3 as a non-athletics day to allow voting and engagement.
NCAA Board of Governors statement on social activism: https://t.co/Wz3SgdUB1z pic.twitter.com/adwEETYxBP
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) June 12, 2020
Here is the complete statement released by the NCAA Board of Governors:
“President Mark Emmert and the NCAA Board of Governors recognize the important role social engagement has on driving positive societal change. The recent demonstrations following the tragic killing of George Floyd showed the world the power of protest and student-athletes across the country were at the center of that movement. We commend NCAA student-athletes who recognized the need for change and took action through safe and peaceful protest. We encourage students to continue to make their voices heard on these important issues, engage in community activism and exercise their Constitutional rights. Further, we encourage all member schools to assist students in registering to vote in the upcoming national election and to designate November 3, 2020 as a day off from athletics activity so athletes can vote and participate in their ultimate responsibility as citizens.”