Sunday, February 21st, 2021
“I hope some day you’ll join us
And the World will be as one”
Those are the last lines of John Lennon’s song “Imagine.”
I am a sports fan. Always have been. Watching sports is not just a passion but it provides an opportunity to see athletes excel and often results in exclamations of, “How did they do that?” as I watch in awe and am inspired to do better, not just in sports, but in all aspects of my life. But hey, that’s just me.
During Black History month, I could have picked any area to blog about, but it is a Sunday and I am going to spend part of my day watching sports.
If you are wondering where I am going with this, here it is: What if sports had never been integrated with Black athletes?
Black athletes had to struggle to break into each sport. There is a history of segregation in sports, just like the rest of life.
So to all you sports fans… imagine… if sports had never been integrated. No Michael, No Lebron, No Magic, No Tiger, No Serena, No Simone, No Hammerin’ Hank, No Zion, No Ali, No Bolt. And on and on.
It isn’t just their greatness and our ability to see their remarkable accomplishments, these athletes have challenged people of all generations, white or black, to be better than they are. Their reach goes far beyond their chosen field.
Now imagine that if in every aspect of our lives, people of any color, had an equal chance to succeed.
Just imagine.
