Instead of looking at state legislatures this week, we’re highlighting some of our favorite sports and activism stories this year!
Arizona
- Super Bowl Location
- Why we’re watching: In our experience, when faith leaders speak up, it’s best to pay attention. Faith leaders in Arizona wrote a letter to the NFL, asking it to move the Super Bowl away from Arizona, which has passed several oppressive voting laws, next year. The Super Bowl is our country’s most-watched sport event every year, so this would be a monumental move by the NFL.
- Phoenix Suns, Mercury Mural
- Why we’re watching: As sports teams across the country continue to highlight issues such as criminal justice and voting rights, the Phoenix Suns and Mercury jointly installed a Black history mural at their stadium, the Footprint Center, to urge people to celebrate Black history all the time.
Connecticut
- Winter Olympics
- Why we’re watching: The 2022 Winter Olympics begin today in China, amid staunch global criticism of the country’s humanitarian crimes. Many competing countries are instituting diplomatic lockouts, bringing attention to athletes’ long history of activism at the Olympics.
National
- Brain Flores’ Lawsuit
- Why we’re watching: Activists and players alike have long accused the NFL of not caring about social justice, as it ardently claims. Now, Brian Flores, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, is suing the NFL for that very reason. In addition to alleging NFL owners have shredded the integrity of the sport, Flores charges that the “Rooney Rule,” a hiring guideline designed to get more Black people in head coach and management positions, is little more than a sham at this point.
Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia Sports Icons Discuss MLK Jr.
- Why we’re watching: Although it’s been weeks since Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s never a bad idea to remind ourselves of his legacy and impact on the country. To celebrate his life, Philadelphia sports heroes Gary Matthews, Jimmy Rollins, Dawn Staley, and Harold Reynolds held a Zoom meeting, sponsored by the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
What do you think of the news in this week’s legislative roundup? Did we miss anything? Drop us a line on any of our social channels or hit us up through our contact us form. Let us know what’s happening in YOUR neighborhood!
