The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will kick off on July 23, 2021.
Published 17 hours ago
Written by BET Staff
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has announced that athletes will be allowed to raise their fists and kneel during the national anthem at the 2021 Olympic trials.
According to CBS News on Tuesday (March 30) a nine-page document was released by the committee and outlined that any racial or social demonstrations would not result in athletes being “punished or undermined” by USOPC. The athlete’s participation in the Olympic and Paralympic Trials events would also not be impacted.
Allowed peaceful protests include: kneeling on the medal podium or during the national anthem; raising a fist at the medal podium; and wearing hats with “Black Lives Matter,” “Trans Lives Matter,” or words like “equality” or “justice.”