WNBA players are taking their Black Lives Matter activism to the next level with warm-up shirts in support of Rev. Raphael Warnock’s Georgia special Senate election campaign.
The idea was the brainchild of Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird in response to Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s criticism of the Black Lives Matter organization.
Ms. Loeffler, who also serves as Atlanta Dream co-owner, warned the league in July that injecting BLM activism and politics into the sport would divide fans.
Atlanta Dream forward Elizabeth Williams told ESPN that voluntarily wearing “Vote Warnock” shirts in support of the Democrat keeps “the focus on our social justice movement.”
“Reverend Warnock is somebody who supports everything that we support and just happens to be running in that seat,” Williams told the network Tuesday. “So it just worked out really well.”
Getting ready to drop it low and drop some points 😉 #GoDream #ATLDream pic.twitter.com/9sSizZnhkY
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 2, 2020
Ms. Loeffler has stressed that a distinction should be made between the idea that “every African American” is important and the objectives of Marxist political activists.
“The Black Lives Matter political organization advocates things like defunding and abolishing the police, abolishing our military, emptying our prisons, destroying the nuclear family,” the Republican told ESPN in July. “It promotes violence and anti-Semitism. To me, this is not what our league stands for.”
The senator also faces stiff competition this November from fellow Republican Party peer Rep. Doug Collins.
Don’t boo…VOTE 🗳
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 4, 2020
Register to vote at https://t.co/zXnPqmFZQ7 #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/4yMmEqgXMS
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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