Brittney Griner's detention in Russia, and the enduring legacy of sports activism

Published Apr 27, 2022, 5:06 PM

From Jesse Owens to Colin Kaepernick, some of the most iconic moments in sports history have been political. But some fans says there’s no place for political activism in athletics.This hour on Disrupted, we revisit a conversation about sports activism and how it can be a platform for change. Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson talks about why she uses her platform to demand justice. Plus, the latest on the WNBA’s Brittney Griner and her detention in Russia.

GUESTS:

  • Tamryn Spruill : Sports Journalist and author of forthcoming book Court Queens: The Story of the WNBA's Power, Passion and Perseverance On and Off the Court
  • Amira Rose Davis : Assistant Professor of History and African-American Studies at Penn State University and author of forthcoming book Can’t Eat a Medal: Black Women Athletes Under Jim Crow.
  • A’ja Wilson: Las Vegas Aces forward, Olympic gold medalist and 3-time WNBA All-Star

This episode was originally produced by Daniela Luna and Catie Talarski. The rest of our team includes James Szkobel-Wolff and Zshekinah Collier. Our interns are Michayla Savitt and Sara Gasparotto.

Portions of this episode originally aired on December 9th, 2020.