RANGER REPORT by DACODA MCDOWELL WAHPEKECHE, Sports Editor
As America celebrates Black History Month, I can’t help but think of Black athletes who are an inspiration to thousands of student-athletes across the country.
Inspirational athletes of all ethnicities have helped shaped modern culture. Honoring the legacies of Black athletes who have overcome adversity in their lives or have done charity work for their communities is important. Americans can learn from these people.
Jackie Robinson, a second basemen for the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color barrier in baseball.
After playing in the Negro Leagues for several years, the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball club and Robinson worked together to push the limits to get Robinson into the MLB.
Robinson paved the way for all other ethnicities to have a chance to play in the MLB.
Each year, on April 15, all MLB players honor his baseball number, 42, by wearing it on Jackie Robinson Day.
Serena Williams is another inspirational athlete. She was raised in Compton, California, but that did not slow her down from her dreams of becoming the greatest tennis player ever.
In an interview with Lonnie Rashid Lynn, better known as Common, Williams said children were racist toward her while she and her sister practiced tennis. That did not stop her from realizing that she is striving to inspire Black people and other women in sports.
Williams is so inspirational to me because she takes criticism and shrugs it off; after all, it’s not worth listening to. She was hated for the color of her skin, her body type, and her gender, but she kept working to accomplish her dreams.
Another one that just keeps working is Colin Kaepernick. Although he is not playing right now, he is still worthy to be mentioned.
Kaepernick was a great quarterback in the NFL. He set the record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in an NFL game. He still holds the record today.
He sacrificed it all to stand for what he thought was right. He lost his job because he started kneeling for racial injustice during the national anthem prior to the NFL games in the 2016 season.
Kaepernick is an inspiration because he sacrificed what made him millions of dollars to stand up – actually, to kneel down – for what he believed was right.
LeBron James, an NBA player from Akron, Ohio, has helped brighten the futures of many children in the Akron area.
James was drafted first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA draft, keeping him close to home. He is my favorite NBA player of all time.
James won an NBA championship for his team in 2016, but I think his greatest accomplishment in his life was creating the “I Promise School.”
Minors who are “at-risk” in the Akron area may be able to attend this public elementary school. James and his LeBron James Family Foundation fund the school, providing resources and hope to its students.
Students who graduate from the “I Promise School” are guaranteed free tuition at the University of Akron if they meet the certain educational requirements.
I believe James, Kaepernick, Williams and Robinson exemplify characteristics that Americans can learn from. These athletes have defied the odds and used their positions to help those who do not have a voice. They give us hope for a better tomorrow.