A student, A activist, A athlete : Dallas Hobbs

A college basketball player named Dallas Hobbs who attends Washington State University has been making headlines this month when he began an act of activism at the . “Mr. Hobbs has undergone a transformation in outlook that is shaping how he views football, school, and his future. For the first time in his life, he’s speaking out against racial injustice in sports, standing up for players’ health and well-being, and advocating for Black Lives Matter helmet stickers and

uniform patches.” This is a topic that is not often discussed which makes it even more important. Throughout the pandemic there has been rallies, protests, and fights to stop police brutality and

racist injustice but not one event specified for black athletes as well.

According to csmoniter, “It’s not something I ever truly thought I would be a part of, but ... something needs to happen to create more success for college athletes who are putting their bodies and their health on the line,“ What many people don’t know is that every year a student

athlete passes away. There has been a dispute across the country about whether or not students should return to play sports while the pandemic is still around the Covid cases start to rise again. “Mr. Hobbs’ eye-catching graphic created a sensation —publicizing key demands of athletes from the Power 5 football conferences: They wanted NCAA-wide policies to adopt common health and safety standards, allow players to opt out without losing eligibility, and give players a voice at the table through the establishment of a college football players association.”

The fact that the students had to ask for basic safety during a pandemic shows that they do not get as much attention needed. When universities received the okay to allow fall sports to begin, one of the first things they did was get every athlete tested , however maintaining 6 feet away from people during a football game is hard for players.

They are traveling and moving around constantly, which means there should be testing and mask changing frequently as well. Students had the choice to stay home if they felt unsafe on campus and athletes should have had the same option without having to lose something like

their scholarship.

Because of Dallas Hobbs, a lot of athletes feel like they can use their voice now in confidence. People are often scared to speak up, and sometimes it just takes one voice to help hear the other millions asking for the same thing.