Assistant Professor of History Carl Suddler was quoted in Jerry Brewer’s recent Washington Post story, “It’s time for bold moves. The NBA should put victims’ names on jersey fronts.” Brewer argues that the NBA should, if the season resumes, advance the Black Lives Matter movement by replacing the team brands on the front of jerseys with the names of victims of police violence. Read the excerpt from the story that quotes Suddler below, along with the full piece here.

“I think sports connects to two things that are very difficult to overcome in this moment: capitalism and the following of behavioral rules,” Suddler said. “Big business and the pursuit of riches limit how radical you can be. And even the NBA, which has been labeled progressive, essentially ran Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf out of the league for the stances they took. The NBA can’t get rid of LeBron [James], but there is only one LeBron. For the average player, disposability is a possibility. Can a sports league, with all its conflicts, really make a meaningful impact when they’re not inclined to sacrifice much?”