I find it quite hypocritical that the Trump regime wants to have Olympians take Patriot tests, when Trump and his cronies are the ones destroying the Constitution which they swore to defend. The only part they seem to like is the Fifth Amendment.
Here’s a photograph I’ve carried with me for decades. Two men in suits, standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder in the lobby of the Vista International Hotel. One of them is me, wearing the brown bellman’s uniform that paid my rent. The other is Muhammad Ali — the most electrifying athlete‑activist of the 20th century.
I didn’t plan it. I didn’t even have my camera on me. This was long before we all carried one in our pockets. I saw him in the lobby, felt that jolt of recognition, and sprinted to my locker like a man chasing a once‑in‑a‑lifetime moment.
“Champ,” I said, “would it be all right if I took your picture?”
His voice was soft — slowed by the early signs of Parkinson’s — but the generosity in it was unmistakable.
“Why don’t you give the camera to my manager,” he said, “and we’ll get a picture together.”
His manager was Angelo Dundee. And just like that, I was standing next to a man who had changed the world with his fists, his faith, and his refusal to be quiet.
That moment has stayed with me not because Ali was famous, but because Ali was Ali — a man who used his platform to confront racism, war, and injustice long before it was safe, popular, or profitable.
And he wasn’t alone.
From Jesse Owens humiliating Hitler in 1936, to Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising gloved fists in 1968, to Colin Kaepernick kneeling in 2016, to modern Olympians speaking out about immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and police violence — athletes have always been the canaries in the coal mine of American conscience.
They stand on podiums, fields, courts, and rinks — and they tell the truth.
Sometimes with a raised fist. Sometimes with a bowed head. Sometimes with a T‑shirt. Sometimes with a knee. Sometimes with an “L for Loser” flashed at the end of a run, aimed squarely at politicians who want Olympians to pass “patriot tests” while ignoring the very freedoms they claim to defend.
The backlash is always the same. The courage is always the same. And the arc of history — slow as it is — always bends toward the people who were willing to risk something.
Ali risked everything. And on that day in the hotel lobby, he gave me a moment of grace I didn’t earn but will never forget.
That photo isn’t just a keepsake. It’s a reminder: The world changes when people with a platform decide to use it — even when it costs them. Especially when it costs them.
Jesse Owen defied Nazi racial ideology by winning four gold medals in Berlin in 1936. He returned home to segregation and exclusion.
Jackie Robinson — 1947
He broke MLB’s color barrier and endured death threats, slurs, and exclusion from hotels and restaurants.
Muhammed Ali 1960
After winning gold in Rome (1960), Ali returned to Louisville and was refused service at a whites‑only lunch counter. He later said he threw his medal into the Ohio River — a symbolic rejection of a country that celebrated him abroad but denied him dignity at home.
1968: The Black Power Salute – Tommie Smith & John Carlos
They raised gloved fists during the national anthem. They went shoeless to represent poverty; beads to honor victims of racial violence. They were expelled from the Games, vilified at home.
Peter Norman wore an OPHR badge in solidarity and was ostracized in Australia for decades.
Bill Russell. He boycotted games in cities where he was refused service and spoke openly about racism in Boston and the NBA.
Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar protested the 1968 Olympics by refusing to participate.
3. 1972 Munich Protest — Wayne Collett & Vince Matthews Their casual stance during the anthem was interpreted as protest and got them banned from the Games.
Arthur Ashe used his tennis fame to speak out against apartheid. He was arrested at protests; wrote extensively about racial justice.
LeBron James & the Miami Heat — 2012 wore hoodies in honor of Trayvon Martin.
WNBA Players — 2016 Wore shirts supporting Black Lives Matter. Faced fines and league pressure, which were later reversed.
Colin Kaepernick — 2016 Knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Lost his NFL career. Became a global symbol of athlete protest.
Mahmoud Abdul‑Rauf’s anthem protest cost him millions.
Simone Biles Spoke openly about mental health and the pressures placed on Black women in sports.
Naomi Osaka Wore masks with names of Black Americans killed by police during the U.S. Open. Used press conferences to highlight systemic racism.
WNBA Protest Photos
The Mystics’ “bullet hole” shirts protesting Jacob Blake’s shooting
Hunter Hess — U.S. Freestyle Skier Criticized U.S. immigration policies and political rhetoric. He was attacked by political figures who said Olympians should “pass patriot tests” or be removed from the team.
Amber Glenn — U.S. Figure Skater Spoke out about LGBTQ+ rights and discrimination. Faced backlash from politicians who said athletes should “represent the country positively.”
Every athlete who speaks out today is walking a path Ali and these others helped clear.
Peace & Love, and all of the above,
Earl
earlthepearl137 