Way back in 1883, Moses Fleetwood Walker, an African-American baseball player, had to fight his way into the world of baseball. Ever since, athletes have often used sports as a platform to raise awareness or to speak out against injustice. Today, 10th graders are sharing their views on athletes who made a change.
I am extremely thankful to the students for their input and the time they dedicated to this project. Special thanks to Perla and Lindsay who volunteered to design the cover. S.R., LFSD English teacher Merci aux élèves pour leur travail et leur réflexion pertinente sur la pratique sportive et l’engagement citoyen d’athlètes qui ont marqué l’histoire. En effet, le sport, quel qu’il soit, doit rester un vecteur de rassemblement des femmes et des hommes autour de valeurs communes qui, de par leur essence, devraient rejeter toutes formes de discrimination. Il existe des dérives et encore aujourd’hui, beaucoup d’athlètes s’engagent au quotidien en utilisant leur sport et leur image pour mettre en lumière des causes justes qu’ils souhaitent défendre. Vincent Grenouilloux, LFSD PE teacher
LFSD – 2020-2021 – 10th grade – Sports and Society
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LeBron Raymon James Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He and Kyrie Irving were among several NBA players who wore “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts before their games on Dec. 8, 2014 — a reference to the last words of Eric Garner, who died in the custody of New York City police officers in July 2014. This NBA player among others decided to speak up against police brutality, a major issue in the US, by wearing this controversial “I can’t breathe” shirt for the warmups of the basketball team. He used his fame and reputation to make justice and speak up for minorities that might be treated unfairly. This topic has been controversial over the past years and still recently because of another victim of police brutality, George Floyd, who had the same fate as Eric Garner. These shocking deaths greatly contributed to the success of “Black Lives Matter” protests in which many people got to participate, including LeBron.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decided to protest against police shootings of African American men and other social injustices faced by black people in the United States by sitting, then kneeling, during the national anthem before games in 2016. This happened 4 years ago but it is still an issue today. Inequality between black and white people is a major concern for a country like the US. Here again we see a public figure protesting for police brutality by sitting then, kneeling, during the national anthem, which is seen as disrespectful and considered as a sign of protest. I personally find this act inspiring and brave because it shows determination and hope for things to change. He is seen as a role model for many people, so such actions encourage others to speak up and to hopefully make the world a better and safer place for everyone.
Hi, I am Nahia, welcome to this magazine! I hope you will learn something with all these articles. Stay safe and keep reading!
Muhammad Ali became a pro boxer in the 60s. Seven years later he won the heavyweight championship.
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Why I chose this person: first I already knew who he was, he fought against racial injustice. Ali is a very inspiring person, he is AfricanAmerican, he was supposed to attend military service but he refused and decided to stick to his own path, boxing. Ali simply said “no”, and continued his amazing career. Later on, he won the heavyweight championship in the US. There was still a lot of racism back then and that never stopped Ali from pursuing his dream. This man decided to ignore all these comments and racial insults, he never accepted to step down from boxing, so for me he inspired people to follow their dreams.
Arthur Ashe is a tennis player who won 3 Grand Slam single titles. Why did I choose Arthur Ashe? Because his story was so interesting and inspiring, this African-American reminded me of Muhammad Ali, because he never gave up on his dreams. He fought against racism. By winning tournaments, he wanted to prove to racist people that black people could be champions too. In the late 1980s, he found out he was HIV positive because of a blood transfusion, he then spent time educating people about AIDS. And finally, in 1992, he also supported Haitians who lived in the USA and who were about to be expelled. He died 5 months later, so we can say he fought against injustice until the end of his life. Basically he was like Muhammad Ali but in tennis.
Hey, my name is Antoine, I am 15 years old, I am French but I was born in the Dominican Republic. I don’t have any hobbies, but if I had one it would be sports. I don't know which one, but I used to play football and tennis. My dream right now is to have a college degree and have an amazing job. I don't know yet what I want to study but one day it will come to my mind.
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Paul Robeson was a student trying out for the Rutgers football team. He made it to the team after enduring a brutal training. After being benched, Rob told a friend that the benching was a “wound that never healed”. I find this article very relevant because it shows how racist people were back in time. Robeson proved people how wrong they were. He showed me, showed us, that he could pull things off really well and even with such a deep wound. He showed that after working hard to make it to the team, he couldn’t just sit there and watch the game be played. So, when Sanford, the coach, refused to bench him for the match the next month, he knew that this was an opportunity to prove himself by making a game-saving tackle to preserve the game 0-0. It also shows us that his teammates played an important role to help Sanford change his way of thinking.
Leonard Bates was a star fullback for New York University. However, being an African-American student, he was targeted because of racial discrimination throughout his career. What struck me the most is the reason why students were suspended: they decided to protest as one of their classmates was discriminated against because of his skin color. And what also struck me is that those same students were honored by New York University because of their commitment to social justice. It really surprises me how people’s minds change with time. And thanks to their commitment, black African-American are less targeted, less insulted because of their origins and skin color even if, unfortunately, race is still sometimes an issue. Our ancestors worked hard for tolerance and equality and we should thank them for that.
Hi, my name is Emmanuel Jean-Francois, I am Canadian and a student. I’ve always been into sports, more precisely soccer.
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Katherine Switzer was the first woman to finish a marathon. The competitors and the male public tried to stop her. In the 70’s, women weren't allowed to compete. She finished the marathon in 4 hours and 10 minutes , setting a new record. I had already heard about this event before and it shocked me a lot. I knew that in the 60s, 70s, almost 80s, women were treated differently, they were considered as inferior, people thought that they couldn't do what men could do. But she proved them wrong. Not only did she run the full marathon but she had to run as she was being stopped and pushed by other competitors and the public just for being a woman. And it's very inspiring because she gave a message not only to women and children but to everyone who was being discriminated against for their skin color, culture and gender. She showed them that no matter who you are, you should be allowed to do whatever anybody else can.
On December 8th, 2014, Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and several NBA players wore T-shirts that were not of their respective teams. The T-shirts read the last words of Eric Garner, killed at the hands of New York City police officers in July 2014: “I can’t breathe.” I think that when you are a famous player of a famous sport, and playing for a famous team, your voice can be heard by a lot of people who watch you play, the media and the news. This act of justice by these NBA players was a good action. People are angry at the way the police use their power. It should be used for good, not to do whatever they want, and even less to kill people. I understand the struggle of the victims of racism in the 60s and 70s and it just infuriates me that people are treated differently because of the color of their skin.
My name is Roman, I am a trainee sports journalist. I play football and sometimes I do boxing. I watch basketball and boxing or MMA matches. Sport is very important to me. I think it keeps me cheerful when I am bored, depressed, stressed out or mad.
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Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first black person to play professional baseball. Walker became the first African-American major leaguer when he took the field against Louisville. He is now a baseball Hall of Famer. Moses Fleetwood Walker is an unforgettable legend in the history of baseball not only because he was the first African American major leaguer but also because he was an inspiration to every single African American kid who dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. And he did it even after hearing racist comments like this one: “We’ll play this here game, but won’t play ever no more with the n...” .
Paul Robeson was a student trying out for the Rutgers football team. He was benched for being black at a game. But after his teammates voiced their objections, Sanford, his coach, had a change of heart, and when West Virginia made the same request a month later, he refused to bench him. Robeson made a game-saving tackle to preserve a 0-0 tie. In my opinion, Paul is someone that people should take as an example because he was a strong and courageous man. After being benched because of his skin color, anyone would have been disgusted, but Robeson didn't give up on football and he came back to save his team even if he knew that doing this could have put him in danger because he was black. And I think this is really courageous.
Hi, my name is Grégoire, I am 15 years old and I live in the Dominican Republic. I play football and I go to the gym.
Gertrude Ederle, also known as “queen of the waves”, was born on October 23, 1905 in New York (US) and died in November 2003. Competition swimmer, and Olympic champion, Gertrude became the first woman to swim the English Channel on August 6th of 1926. What struck me in her story is that it made me realize how incredibly courageous and powerful a human being can be. Her courage also amazed me because although she was only 19 years old, she kept her head up, overcoming the sabotage orchestrated against her , thus demonstrating that the “weaker sex” was not so weak after all. In fact, Gertrude Ederle showed the whole world that women were, are and will always be as powerful as men, so it proves us that women can also accomplish feats as athletes. Unfortunately, she suffered hearing damage (legend says that swimming across the Channel affected her hearing) but it did not stop her from doing what she wanted: she was able to share her passion teaching children in spite of her own difficulties.
Colin Kaepernick, born on November 3, 1987 in Wisconsin, is a football quarterback but also a civil rights activist. On August 26, 2016, he refused to stand while the national anthem was being played because he believes the United States oppresses African Americans and other minorities. What struck me in this story is the way he wants to show the public what is really going on in this world: how the country stands for freedom, liberty and justice but sometimes doesn't respect their values. So, being famous gave him a voice, a platform to denounce injustice, he is not afraid to speak up to make a change: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color”. In addition, not only does he stand up for what he knows is right, but he also knows his priorities thus showing his loyalty: “To me this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
Hey, my name is Camilia and I am 15 years old. I was born in Canada, with my two brothers: we are triplets of Vietnamese and Haitian origin. I love playing volleyball. I have been practicing this sport for 4 years now. I also really like drawing, painting and arts in general.
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This story is about a woman, Gertrude Ederle, who, despite the circumstances and the opinion of others, did what she wanted: at a very young age, she swam for 14 hours across the English channel . Some people tried to sabotage her but she did it anyways. I think this story is interesting because I see it as it was a feminist action, she was the first woman to accomplish something that only men could do at the time. Fighting for women’s rights was very difficult at the beginning of last century. Swimming is also difficult, and above all swimming for so long. It became even more challenging when they tried to sabotage her. And it is admirable that despite the difficulties, she achieved her goal and was able to make a living from that.
This story is about a man, named Mahmoud Abdul-Rau. His story surprised me a lot, it made me angry and saddened me: they suspended a man for his peaceful protest and for having another opinion and religion. Not only did they suspend him but they also burnt his house 5 years later. This story strikes me as being an exaggeration and abuse. I understand that people can disagree, but you cannot burn someone’s house. Someone could have died. Burning someone's home is wrong, dangerous and really horrible.
My name is Marie, I am 15 years old and I like reading, drawing and sleeping.
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Althea Gibson is the first African-American to participate in the US open in July 1950. She proved herself in the tournament and almost won against all odds. Something that really struck me was the fact that she was being called a lot of racist and disgusting names and no one did anything about it but she kept her cool. I was really surprised that she was even invited to play in the 1950s. Also in the picture of the report, Louise Brough, her white opponent, is almost crying even though she won, we can assume that she hates the idea of touching and just playing against Althea Gibson, an African-American woman.
Paul Robertson was a student that played football in the 1917 Rutgers football team. This was before he became a famous actor, singer and fireman. It struck me that he had to endure a brutal initiation by his own teammates only to enter the team. He was benched just because the other teams didn’t want to play against a black man. And when he was finally able to play the game, he proved everyone watching wrong by preserving a 0-0 score at the end of that game. Afterwards, when he removed his stockings, his legs were so gashed and bruised that his skin peeled off.
Hey! My name is Giovany Fanini, I am Haitian but I was born in the United States, I am a student at the Lycée Français de Saint Domingue and I love eating. I am into going out with my friends and sometimes do sports like cycling or strength exercises.
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Paul Robeson, a 6-foot-2 and 210-pound young black man at the time, wanted to join a well-known football team, and he made it. In a match, because of his color and his roots, he was benched and didn't say anything at first. So the next time they benched him, he declined and protested. This was at the beginning of the twentieth century, 1916, he was only eighteen years old when he stood up for himself and for all the African-Americans, this is why he is such a role-model for all the people he fought for. After feeling down because they hadn’t let him play, he stood up, supported by his team mates and he rebelled against that discrimination. I feel like most people would sit down and shut their mouths; or maybe just stop playing with a white team, and only play with people that have the same skin color. In my opinion, that is not the right answer, we should fight to eradicate injustice even though it may be hard. Most of the time people that hold the most powerful positions are the people that don’t suffer from discrimination so it is important to speak up.
Billie Jean King is a female tennis player that fought for gender equality. In June 1973, she created a tennis association for women and later threatened to boycott the US Open Tennis if the winning prices weren't the same for women and for men. Inequalities of all sorts have always existed, but gender inequality is still a major issue nowadays. In many companies, women are paid less than men, and not because they're less talented, just because they are women. I admire all those people that fight for what they think is wrong. Billie Jean did. Billie Jean stood up for all women, for all those women that were talented but underrated because they were women, very simply. She even threatened the organizers of the US Open of tennis, that is a BIG thing. And I think her action was beautiful and breathtaking.
Hey, my name is Naomi. I am a Franco-Dominican girl, who has always lived in the Dominican Republic. I am a student at the LFSD. I have always loved sports; right now I'm really into volley-ball, but I have practiced several sports. I once ran a race with friends and we had a lot of fun!
1968: Fists of Fury The stars of this article are Tommie Smith and John Carlos. They are former American track and field athletes. The two were on the podium in the 1968 Olympic Games (Tommie Smith 1st place and John Carlos 3rd place) At the award ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, on October 16th, 1968, the two finalists decided to take off their shoes, go up to the podium with black socks and black gloves to represent the black power movement. Standing on the podium, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists above their heads to silently protest racial discrimination. In my opinion, what these two black athletes did was very controversial at the time because racial discrimination was still very important. Their way of protesting racial discrimination was highly unusual. I think it was a very powerful form of protest to show that Blacks wanted the same rights as whites.
2014: State of Outrage Andrew Hawkins is a former American football wide receiver. He played six seasons in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. He announced his retirement in 2017. On December 14th, 2014, Andrew Hawkins wore a black T-shirt that read: "JUSTICE FOR TAMIR RICE - JOHN CRAWFORD" on the front and "THE REAL BATTLE OF OHIO" on the back to bring justice to those who fell at the hands of the Cleveland police. I don't understand why the police criticized the Cleveland Browns player for wanting to bring justice to the deceased. Andrew’s act of protest was very controversial in Cleveland. And the police claimed that Andrew owed them an apology, I dont get it, that's unfair to me.
Hi, my name is Oliver Bros. I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I like listening to music, playing video games for many hours and spending time with my family. I also like to play soccer but I have not practiced for more than a year, I would like to practice again. I once played the piano but at that time I did not like playing an instrument at all, but now, I would like to play that instrument though.
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Toni Smith is a 21-year-old sociology major and basketball player at Manhattanville College. She decided to show her disapproval of the US being involved in the Iraq war by turning her back when the pre-game anthem was playing. This silent protest is clearly completely justified and did actually cause a lot of controversy at the time (2004). I like this silent protest very much because it’s such an unimportant movement, but it wields so much meaning. And the change it brought about shows the world that you can always make a difference just by adopting a different attitude when watching a game! It also shows that the US isn’t as perfect as some people claim it is, and that young people care about injustice, and are involved, unlike what some people say. That is why I chose this particular protest.
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is an NBA star player that chose not to stand for the “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games because he said that this flag was a “symbol of oppression and that the United States had a long history of tyranny”. He was suspended by the NBA. I chose this event because Mahmoud made an important choice. He chose to possibly ruin his career in the NBA to show that he didn’t agree with the situation in his country. And to me this choice is really brave, because he knew that by not standing for the flag - and therefore by being disrespectful according to some people - he was a target. Eventually his house was burned down by people who apparently do not understand the concept of “freedom of expression”.
My name is Aurelien, I’m a 10th grader in Santo Domingo’s French high school. I love sports like a lot of people, but I also love Star wars, and building complex and intricate structures with Lego bricks. Last year, at school, I participated in Solidarity Day: we organized table tennis tournaments and relay-races to raise funds to help two local schools.
Katherine Switzer is the first woman to participate in a marathon (1962). Two miles into the race, she was assaulted by the Boston Marathon official Jock Semple. Even after that event, she found the courage to keep running, and she crossed the finishing line after 4 hours and 20 minutes. This event shocked me a lot. The official of the marathon went as far as searching for Katherine in the race, just to assault her. How hateful do you need to be to do that ? Luckily, Katherine’s boyfriend was there to help her. And thanks to the cameras that captured the scene, the story spread like wildfire. Thanks to her achievement, women were authorized to participate in the Boston marathon in 1972. Switzer then wrote an autobiography named “Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports”, which was released in 2007. Overall the event did more good than bad, and Katherine Switzer became an icon for women's sports.
Craig Hodges was a 3-point specialist who helped the Chicago Bulls win their first two titles in the ’90s. When the Chicago Bulls visited the White House, Hodges delivered a letter addressed to President George H. W. Bush, to express his discontent at the way the government treated the poor and minorities. Craig was very politically engaged, he even criticized Michael Jordan for not denouncing social and political injustice. And that is what I like about this person. He isn’t afraid to speak up, he has ideas, and he wants to express them. But that is what caused his “downfall”. Some people considered that he was far too vocal, and Craig was a victim of many injustices. After filing a lawsuit against the NBA, he was dismissed because “ he was getting too old and could not play defense” which that made little sense considering about his abilities.
My name is Lorca, I’m a 14-year-old boy that likes reading and playing video games. The only school marathon I ran was about 7 years ago, and I really enjoyed the experience.
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Kathrine Switzer, known as Kathy Switzer, was born on January 5, 1947 in Amberg, Germany. She is an American marathon runner, writer and commentator. She is best known for being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967 as a registered participant. Some people say that determination is the basis of success, they aren’t wrong and this is what Kathrine Switzer taught us. I chose her because I actually love athletics and I was so surprised to learn that that women couldn't participate in all of the competitions of this discipline that I like so much. People tried to pull her off the race but they couldn’t! We should all follow her example!
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (born in March 9, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the NBA for nine years with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies. Would you stand for a symbol of oppression for so many people? I certainly would not and this is that Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to do too: he said that he would not stand for the anthem because for him it is a symbol of oppression, and instead, he decided to pray. Because of this he was excluded from the NBA, and that is why I chose him: I do not understand why such a talented player could be banned from the NBA for raising his voice.
My name is Lindsay, I’m 15 yrs old and I was born in the Dominican Republic. I like contemporary dance and hip hop, I also like athletics and art.
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On May 9, 1972, Bill Walton , an American former Basketball player who was 20 years old at the time, participated in a large demonstration on the Westwood campus to protest against President Richard Nixon’s decision to escalate the war in Vietnam and he got arrested. What strikes me the most in this short story about William Theodore Walton lll ( who joined the NBA in 1974, two years after the event described here took place), is that it is shocking and unbelievable that he was apprehended in a peaceful sit-in. It’s very surprising to me that students could be arrested during this anti-Vietnam protest because it is clearly stated that the demonstrators calmly dispersed. The only possible reason I can think of for his arrest is that it was an unauthorized protest (which means they didn't register their protest, it was spontaneous). I fully support the cause for this demonstration and I admire the way it was done: peacefully.
Craig Anthony Hodges is an American retired professional basketball player. He played in the NBA for 10 seasons and won two NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He delivered a letter about black struggle to President George H.W. Bush at the Bulls’ White House ceremony in 1992. What strikes me and even shocks me in the story of Craig Hodges (who was a 3-point specialist and a very famous NBA player in the Chicago Bulls team, one of the members of Michael Jordan’s team during his best seasons in NBA), is what happened to him in 1992. Sixteen days after delivering his eight-page letter that was meant to bring attention to racism, economic inequality, police brutality and his opposition to Operation Desert Storm, Craig was dismissed from the Chicago Bulls team. He could never find a new job in any other NBA team although he was a very good and famous player (Hodges and Larry Bird are the only two players to win three consecutive Three point Contests at the NBA All-Star Weekend). I think Hodges was very brave for writing that letter to president George H.W. Bush and it is unacceptable that he should be treated that way.
Hey, my name is Aloys Deheuvels, I'm 15 years old, I was born in France and I live in Dominican Republic. I love sports (particularly Basketball, Mountain Biking and Climbing) and music.
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Moses Fleetwood Walker was an American professional baseball catcher. He is one of the first black men to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on October 7, 1856 and died May 11, 1924. He was a victim of racism in the USA. I chose him because he was one of the first black men to play in Major League Baseball and also because the racism he suffered from in the USA surprised me. We can see in the article we read in class that he was often a victim of racism. On August 10, Moses got injured and couldn’t play the next match with the Chicago White Sox. Later on he got informed of a racist phrase that Anson said, “We’ll play this game, but won’t play never no more with the n—–.” What also surprises me is that three years later black people weren’t allowed to play in Major League Baseball anymore.
Muhammad Ali is an American heavyweight boxer considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time. He was born in January 1942 in Kentucky and died in 2016 in Arizona. Muhammad Ali inspires me because like Moses Fleetwood Walker, he was a victim of racism. Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers of all time, he was criticized by people because he was black. What also surprised me about him is that he was so good at boxing that he became the first heavyweight world champion three times! He refused to join the Army in 1967, so this proves he was a peaceful man. In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Liberty, the highest civilian honor in the USA.
Hi my name is Noah, I am Canadian. I am an athlete, I love playing soccer. Since I was 6 years old, I have always played soccer. I play soccer 6 times a week, 3 times with my friends and the other 3 times I play in a club. I will never stop playing soccer and I will always work hard to be better.
Gertrude Ederle (1916-2003) became the first woman to swim the English Channel, on August 6, 1926, at the age of 19. Despite the sabotage of her ex coaches, she did it! She finished her life teaching deaf people how to swim. I find her story very encouraging for other women because she challenged the stereotypes, but her story also denounces society and the fact that men have control over everything. I find her brave, because she had to face the unfair behaviour of men and also because she was the first woman to swim the English Channel, so she proved to all men, that women can do everything that a man does. She also demonstrated that women can be good at sports and can be strong... The fact that her coach sabotaged her effort, only because she was a woman, shows the imperfections of our prejudiced society. I think her coach did that because he didn't want to admit that a woman can be as athletic and courageous as a man, I am sure he knew it, he just refused to accept it!
Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston marathon, despite the fact that this race was initially only meant for men. During the race Jock Semple tried to pull her off the race but he couldn't. Kathrine set a record of 4 hours, 20 minutes. It took 70 years for a woman to participate in the Boston marathon, it took 70 years to realize that something was wrong. Kathrine made a lot of women realize that with determination, we can face injustice. Thanks to her determination she could continue her race, despite the people who tried to stop her. Why did Jock Semple try pull her off the course ? Why didn't he mind his own business and let the woman run? Simply because it would hurt his ego if a woman was better than him maybe? I think so. This man tried so hard to pull her off, just for a question of ego? It is crazy. This woman is very brave because she broke the rules and proved all these men wrong.
My name is Julie, I am 15 years old. I was born on July 27, 2005 in Santo Domingo. I am Franco-Dominican and I am a student at "Lycee franรงais de Saint-Domingue".
Peter O’Connor, is an Irish long jumper, he finished second in
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the 1906 Games in Athens. He thought he was representing his country, Ireland, but in fact he was representing Great Britain, so to show his anger, he climbed at the top of the flagpole, and he switched the British flag for the Irish flag! For me this is pretty insane, this man showed his bravery and his patriotism to the world. He did two important things : he finished second, and he climbed at the top of the flagpole, and replaced the English flag to show he was Irish, and not British. This act really shows how proud he was to be Irish. I think that not everybody would have done this, it is a real act of courage. I didn't know about this man, but I think more people should know about his story.
On Aug. 6, 1926, 19-year-old Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She did in 14 hours and 34 minutes. This brave woman died at the age of 98, in 2003. This woman did something important at a time when women had no rights, when women were treated like “maids”. And crossing the channel, she proved to the world that women are capable of everything. Gertrude Ederle broke gender stereotypes. This is an act of bravery, because she wanted to prove the world wrong, and she did it. I chose this story because in some countries, women are still considered as inferior, and I think it shouldn't be like this.
My name is Enzo, I was born in the Dominican Republic, and I’m 14 years old. I like playing soccer, and I enjoy kitesurfing.
Jesse Owens was born in Pasadena California in 1913. He was a track and field athlete and he won four gold medals in the Berlin Olympic games in 1936.
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I think what he did was extremely courageous and honorable, not everybody would have been so brave as to go and win 4 medals in a country ruled by Adolf Hitler, a man who believed in white supremacy. Owens could have been killed but he went and won four times showing to everyone that black people can do the same as white people, showing that they deserve the same respect. During the medal ceremony, most of the people in the stadium performed the nazi salute. I can't imagine what Owens felt at that moment. If I had been him, I would have been proud because I would have proved every white supremacist wrong, but I would have been scared for my life as well.
Arthur Ashe, born in the United states in 1993, was arrested in 1992 in a demonstration and died 5 months later. He suffered from AIDS after a blood transmission. He was an important tennis player , the first black man to be selected for the US Davis Cup team. Reading this article I was very surprised because he decided to protest even when he was suffering from AIDS , a disease that still has no cure in 2020. He decided to protest against the decision of sending black Haitian refugees back to Haiti. He could have stayed at home living his last months or days peacefully but he decided to participate in a demonstration at the White House, holding a banner that read ” Haitians locked out because they’re black”. I think it's admirable, it shows how much he cared about the issue. He was the only black man to ever win the single title at the US Open and the Australian Open. He dedicated the rest of his life educating others about HIV and AIDS, which is , in my opinion, admirable.
My name is Perla and I’m 15 years old. I’m not into sports but I’m really fascinated by social issues in general, that’s why I enjoyed writing this article. I hope one day I can do something as amazing as these athletes.