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CHANGING THE CULTURE AROUND STUDENT ATHLETE ACTIVISM

Dr. Harry Edwards gave a talk at the University of Oregon about the importance of athlete activism and what universities can do better to provide a platform for its athletes.

The event was called “From Robinson to Kaepernick, the evolution to athlete activism” but athlete activism was far from the only thing Harry Edwards discussed at the Ford Alumni Center on May 8. He made sure to deliberate on issues such as gender equality, racial tensions and the importance of “not being offended,” because he said it leads to progressive conversations being ended

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A room full of student athletes from the University of Oregon sat attentively and listened to Edwards speak for almost two hours on his experiences surrounding athlete activism and his thoughts as to where that activism is heading in the future.

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But why is it important for athletes to be included in discussions like these?  “Athletes have the biggest microphones,” said Edwards.  The amount of influence that athletes have on the population is at an all-time high now that there are platforms like social media and “The Players Tribune” which is a media platform that allows athletes to share their thoughts (in writing) directly with fans.

There might not be a better person to lead these discussions with athletes than Edwards.

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Edwards grew up in the in the 1950s and ‘60s, when the Civil Rights Movement was in full effect. This led to him being heavily influenced by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

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Edwards first protest came in college while he was running track San Jose` State University. The protest would lead to Edwards’ scholarship being taken away, but that was a little cost to him. “Dr. King inspired me to protest in that moment,” said Edwards. From there on out, that was the lifestyle he chose to live.

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It was in 1967, when Edwards helped establish the “Olympic Project for Human Rights”, an organization that aimed to protest against racial segregation and racism in sports. Working with that organization, he helped orchestrate the black power protest in the 1968 Olympics where athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fist (the symbol of the Black Power Movement) during their medal ceremony.

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Now, Edwards spends his time advocating for racial and gender equality by giving talks like the one at the University of Oregon and by working with athletes today that want to speak out against the injustices society sees today.

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Restrainment of athlete activism has been an issue in the past for the University of Oregon. In 2014, two Oregon Duck basketball players, Dillon Brooks, and Dwayne Benjamin, were disciplined by head coach Dana Altman (who attended Edwards’ talk) after they held their hands up during the playing of the national anthem.  This gesture titled, “hands up, don’t shoot” had been linked to police killings of two African American men, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner.

"I think every player has a right to express their opinion, however I didn't think that was the time and place for it,” said Altman after the game.

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These talks like the one Edwards gave at the University of Oregon aren’t just for the athletes. Edwards stressed to Altman and the other people of power in the room that having a platform to be able to protest is just as important as the protests themselves. “It’s not just about the activism,” said Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens. “It’s about how do you move the protest to policy and programs for positive change.”

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Edwards seemed optimistic about the future of athlete activism and said that athletes will use their platforms to advocate positively for issues like racial and gender equality. But Curtis Austin, a history professor who hosted the talk with Edwards, believes that there is still work to be done to get to that point.  Austin said that most athletes have goals to reach the level of professional sports, and those goals often carry more weight than focusing on advocating for people’s rights. 

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Although, change might not be as far away as it used to be, according to Austin.  “It may not come as fast as we like, but I do think there will be some change,” he said. “The room seemed to have been enthralled…and people were identifying with the comments he was making.”

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Edwards is laying the groundwork to create change everywhere he speaks, but he is also focused on the larger picture of how athletes as a whole, can create change in America.

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“Protest is at the very core of the struggle to form the perfect union,” said Edwards.  And athletes have used their platforms to “step up and do extraordinary things.” 

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The influence that athletes have on society covers far more than the sports that they play. When used correctly, Edwards thinks that they can be the primary factor in making America a better place.

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Edwards ended the talk by saying athletes “might not be able to get on the podium at the UN, but we can get on the podium at the Olympic Games.” 

WHAT ARE BABIES ACTUALLY THINKING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Dr. Ross Thompson gave a presentation to local parents in Eugene about how complex the mind of a baby is and how to interpret it.

In an auditorium at the 4j Eugene Public Schools Education Center, full of women and a few men speckled throughout, Ross Thompson walked up to the only young woman holding a baby. “Since we’re going to be talking extensively about babies, I’m glad you brought yours,” he said with a smile as he shook the baby’s hand.

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There might not be a better introduction to the type of person Thompson is than that interaction. 

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Thompson was the highlighted guest speaker of a talk on May 22, titled, “How to Think Like a Baby.” The talk aimed to help people understand just how sophisticated the minds of babies are, and what environments and tactics are most effective to most healthily shape their minds.

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“At the beginning of life, every child’s brain is shaped by experiences,” said Thompson.  “Their brains are making roughly one million neuro connections every second.” Those connections are completely related to the things those children experience before they are even born.

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What is an example of these experiences and how they help children’s brains develop? Vocabulary.  “Babies are making connections related to vocabulary before they can even talk,” said Thompson.

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Thomson has been working around child brain development his whole life. Whether that be serving on the Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development, which seeks to incorporate scientific research into childhood education programs, writing books like “Toward a Child-Centered, Neighborhood-Based Child Protection System” and “Infant-Mother Attachment” or teaching childhood psychology at the University of California Davis.

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Currently, Thompson is teaching psychology and working with an organization called “Zero to Three.” Their goal is to “ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.”  To reach that goal, they want society to be well informed as to what babies need to reach their full potential, and talks like the one given in Eugene, help inform people of this.

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He expressed the importance of how babies’ lives can impact everyone and explained to the audience that people need to think more about babies and their needs, since they are often overlooked.

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“It’s hard for people to understand how sophisticatedly babies are thinking about the world around them because they see them cry and squirm and associate that with unintelligence,” he said.  The fact is, according to Thompson’s research, that’s just not true.

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Thompson told the audience that babies are always performing vey simplified scientific reasoning. Whether that be throwing objects to see what things fall faster than others, or practicing different tactics to see how to most effectively get their mother’s attention.

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“I always knew that babies were trying figuring out the world around them,” said Samantha Warren, an audience member and mother of two.  “But it was really cool that he showed us the research to find out out why.”

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The environment that the baby is raised in might be the most important key to successfully developing a child’s brain according to Thompson, and parents are a vital part in that environment. 

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Babies often rely on their mother’s reactions to things, to understand how to feel about them.  Thompson gave an example of a baby being checked on by a pediatrician.  Babies will often look at their mother while the pediatrician is checking on them to see her reaction---if she looks concerned, the baby might start to feel uncomfortable; if the mother has a smile on her face, the baby will be happy and calm.

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“If there’s anything that babies want to understand, it’s you and me,” said Thompson.  “A child’s well being is predicated on having an adult there for emotional support.”

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Thompson feels inspired about the future of childhood brain development.  “Within the next five to ten years, we are going to have an awaking about the importance of the first five years of a child’s life.” That is what Thompson’s work is aiming toward. He wants people to understand the importance of early brain development and he said talks like the one in Eugene are helping get people there.