By Jacob Lee — Reporter
San Jose State athletes marched together, chanting with their fists in the air and calling for change and reform following the recent spike in protests for civil rights after the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The Spartan athletic community joined in an organized Black Lives Matter Solidarity Walk on Sept. 1.
The event drew players from all different teams, along with coaches, faculty and friends.
Cade Hall, a member of the SJSU’s football team, was proud of his school, and its agenda to invoke change.
“It was great to see SJSU taking action for the BLM movement,” Hall said. “College athletes have a unique platform to speak about social and racial issues, so I think having athletes from all different sports coming together to support the cause was huge for the university.”
The walk began with a few words from student athletes at the famous Olympic Black Power Statue on campus.
“Seeing everyone together standing as a group was powerful,” SJSU women’s soccer player Bella Bowers said. “As athletes we see each other on campus and at sporting events, but to see everyone united walking for something important was really inspiring.”
As the largest civil rights movement in the world continues to grow, San Jose State University is taking steps to spread awareness and educate the public about social and racial injustice with these public demonstrations.
Gabriella Hurtado, a former SJSU women’s soccer player shared how encouraging it is to see people coming together.
“Sometimes people can be quiet when chanting,” Hurtado said. “And there was sometimes awkwardness during the walk, but just the fact that people care enough to come out and support is enough.”
“Now is time to speak up and be heard, but it is also a learning process, and you need to be educated on the issue at hand,” Hurtado said.
Spartan athletes expressed their appreciation for the athletic department and school’s activism during this time.
“We had all these teams on campus walking together to learn, protest and support one another. It was a step in the right direction for San Jose State Athletics,” women’s water polo player Abby Lee said.
It is powerful to see this unification of athletes at San Jose State University, who have made it clear that this movement is not over.
There is still social and racial injustice that needs to be resolved, and that we are all in this fight together.
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