Get in the Game: A Conversation on Sports and Social Change
On Sept. 18, 2018, the LBJ Presidential Library hosted Ibtihaj Muhammad, Nate Boyer, and Daron K. Roberts for a conversation on sports and social change. This event was part of the LBJ Library's "Get in the Game: The Fight for Equality in American Sports" special exhibition programming. The exhibition celebrates the legacy of athlete activism by highlighting iconic men and women – from Jackie Robinson and Billie Jean King to Colin Kaepernick and Ibtihaj Muhammad – who have broken barriers and spoken out for equality, on and off the playing field. View photos: www.flickr.com/photos/lbjlibrarynow/albums/72157699911488061 /// About Our Panelists - Ibtihaj Muhammad is a fencer, the first Muslim American woman in hijab to compete for the United States in the Olympic Games and the first female Muslim American to medal at the Olympic Games, winning bronze in the women's sabre team event. - Nate Boyer is a former active-duty Green Beret, philanthropist and community leader, and a former member of the Seattle Seahawks. Boyer played an unexpected role in one of today's most well-known sports protest controversies. During the 2016 NFL preseason games, Colin Kaepernick, then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, sat on the bench during the National Anthem as a protest against racial injustice. In response to the protest, Boyer published an open letter to Kaepernick which resulted in the two meeting to discuss their perspectives on the protest. As a result of their discussion, Kaepernick decided to kneel during the National Anthem in an effort to show more respect to current and former military members, while still spotlighting the social issues that led to his protest. - Daron K. Roberts is the founding director of The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation, and a former NFL and college football coach. /// Supporters The "Evening With" speaker series is generously sponsored by St. David's HealthCare, the Ford Foundation, the Moody Foundation, and Tito's Handmade Vodka. This program was also co-sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin's Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation and the Center for Sports Communication & Media.
