Gwen Berry, a track and field star who will represent the United States in the hammer throwing event at the U.S. Olympic Team's Tokyo competition later in the month, will be there. Critics will question her participation in the team after she turned her back to the flag and The Star-Spangled Banner at the Olympic trials.This type of protest is not new for Berry, or Black women in sport who use their success to call out for justice and equality and to raise the voices of those who do this work. Amira Rose, a professor of history at Penn State, joined us for Friday's episode to discuss it. She is a Penn State professor of history, African American Studies and African American Studies. Burn It All Down is a podcast that features women in sport. She is also the co-host. This edited conversation was condensed to make it more concise.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJason Johnson: Jason, I want to tell you something. You know Gwen Berry?Amira Rose Davis: Yes, I do.Gwen Berry was reported to have said that she didn't intend to speak on the podium, and felt set up. Let's talk about this a bit.Yes, absolutely. First, the Olympic trials anthem isn't played on all podium stands, and it wasn't played throughout the day. This coincidence is what she seems to be referring too. It is important to remember that the protest wasn't necessarily planned. She has stated repeatedly for many years that she doesn't believe that the anthem speaks to her and that she will not stand for it. She could raise her fist like she did at the Pan American Games in 2019, or turn her back on it, as we saw this weekend.AdvertisementBerry has spoken to you before, including when she was sanctioned after protesting at the 2019 Pan Am Games. She said that raising her fist was a personal moment of triumph, but also about systematic racism. We should recall how her actions were received at the time. How has it changed?AdvertisementRace Imboden (who was a fencer at games) protested medal stands. This was in the Kaepernick era. Since 2016, there has been a new wave of activism. Although it was not completely out of context, it was still met by the same responses we are used to: lots of hate mail and notes, lots of calls to be removed from the team, or disciplined in any way. You can see that she was cut off from a number of funding streams by United States Track & Field, including some through personal donations of Track & Fieldboosters or sponsors. There was also a decrease in corporate sponsorship opportunities than there were previously.AdvertisementWe saw a different response nine months later to George Floyd's murder. However, corporations were saying, Black Lives Matter. They say the same things that Gwen said nine months ago. She said, "This is really nice to hear. But I am still on probation." Race [Imboden] remains on probation. They publicly apologized. They took them off probation. They said, OK, you were ahead.AdvertisementAdvertisementMany Americans don't understand the funding streams that track and field athletes receive. Let's just go through it briefly. Is USA Track able to pay you money? Is it necessary to hustle in order to make money at Nike and Reebok? How does this financial thing work? And how can it be used against activists?Endorsement deals are very important, especially in Olympic sports. USA Track & Field also offers athletes subsidies and other packages. There are many ways to raise that money. When we talk about funding streams within the sport, you will find different packages depending on your level. Gwen is a Tier 1 player. Gwen was at the 2016 Olympics. There are various awards throughout the year that can be given for performance, as well as additional, supplemental items to assist with training costs, etc. So she started to notice a pattern in not receiving other awards.AdvertisementShe was also noticing that sponsors were hard to find. We've seen that Color of Change has formed a historic partnership to Gwen over the past few months. Puma just announced their partnership with Gwen a few weeks back. Puma was the brand that helped Tommie [Smith] as well as John [Carlos] after 1968 Olympics. She wore an equality shirt. This is very significant. They have a history of doing this. Those are the people who have her back now.AdvertisementThis kind of action is not new around the flag or national anthem. You also mentioned Tommie Smith, John Carlos and John Carlos raising the fists at the podium during the 1968 Olympics. That's something I believe most Americans have heard about, if they pay attention to Olympic history and Black activists and activism. But we don't hear much about women participating in this kind of activism. Could you please tell us about Black women who participated in similar protests and activities in the 60s, 70s, and 80s?AdvertisementRose Robinson was a Chicago high jumper at the 1959 Pan American Games. Although she was not going to stand in the pomp and ceremony of the anthem, she is also notable for refusing to travel on the Goodwill Ambassador Tour with Soviet Union during the height of Cold War. She stated very publicly that she was not a pawn in your political games. Rose Robinson refused to travel. Six months later, Rose Robinson was brought before a judge on tax evasion charges. She refused to pay them and was sent to jail. It cost her $386.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWe also see more Black women athletes as we progress through the 60s and 70s. For example, when we think of the 68 games, Tommie and John come to mind, but the Olympic Project for Human Rights excluded the Black women athletes from the planning process. So, everyone was doing their own protests. Wyomia Tyus was 64, 68 Olympian and the first to return to the 100 meters to get gold. She wore protest shorts. As a protest, she wore different colors of shorts. Shortly, she raised her fist with her teammate at the medal stand. To cut out the story of them being outliers, they dedicated their medals Tommie and John.AdvertisementThe 70s saw a lot of Black cheerleaders from schools across the country saying, Hey, we were part of the sporting spectacle. We are going to use this space for Black students and Black athletes to talk about the lack of Black history classes on campus, or the need to have Black studies programs. They used the football field to sing the anthem and either sat down or raised their fists. This is a very common practice among Black women.AdvertisementYour podcast has highlighted the collective activism of diverse types of women in team sports. The WNBA's Atlanta Dream. I was curious to know if women's activism is easier in a team sport than in an individual sport. Do you think it is easier to work in a team than to do it alone?AdvertisementFor mobilization to be effective, collective action is essential. You'll get more done. That has been a key feature in women's sports for many reasons. It is important to remember that not only was the history of WNBA political but also that the players helped bring the league along. If you look back at the months before Kaepernick took a stance, you will see that there were WNBA players on Liberty and on Indiana Fever. These players were shutting down pressers, saying, "Were not going to answer any question unless it involves police brutality." In solidarity, they wore black shirts. This is an important moment. They are being fined by the league.AdvertisementAdvertisementThey are being fined by the league for wearing the black shirts while the NBA puts their stars on the ESPYs stage and applauds them for their activism.The Olympics will begin in just a few weeks. What is the Olympic Committee's official policy regarding protests? Are all people allowed to make their own decisions? Are we where we are now?The United States Olympic Committee has stated that they are not penalizing these. This is a right to express oneself. It was a victory that the athletes fought for. They are not going to interfere. We know that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is sticking to Rule 50 which bans political expressions of protest. This is intentional. They said, for example, that while you cannot wear the Black Lives Matter slogan, you can wear equality, justice, or freedom.AdvertisementThey are kind of waiting for it. It will be interesting to see what they do.How can we, the people who watch these athletes, entertain us and fight for us? What is the best way to show them that we believe in them and support their efforts on the court, track, and field?One, tune in. This is especially true for the WNBA. Many people placed them on a pedestal, and they were like, "Look at them as activists."Find ways to stand up for Olympians. Gwen has a website where you can purchase her Activist Athlete shirt. Assist them by standing with them. Here's how we can amplify their voices.
