PROFILE
FROM Howard Bryant
Confronting the myth of a ‘post-racial utopia’ in pro sports San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continued to protest racial inequality and police brutality by refusing to stand during the national anthem Thursday . He was joined by teammate Eric Reid in taking a knee during the Star Spangled Banner before their game in San Diego. In Oakland, Seattle Seahawk Jeremy Lane sat down during the anthem as well. These NFL athletes are not the first to protest the state of race relations in America. But they’re being called unpatriotic by critics – in a world where competition and patriotism are inextricably linked. Why do professional sports and patriotism go hand in hand? Can athletes criticize the state of their country without losing support in the arena? And what does the reaction to Kaepernick’s protest among players say about race-relations within the NFL , where nearly 69 percent of players identify as black?
Recommended
Farewell LA freeways, Peter Shire is back Angelenos don't want more freeways but we seem not to want mass transit either. Metro has killed the 710 freeway extension, and bus and train ridership is down across the region. What's the future of getting around in LA? And, Peter Shire is having a comeback. What attracts a new generation to his playful ceramics and furniture?
Why is Trump so behind on filling staff jobs, establishing concrete policies? Yesterday Donald Trump signed a “decision memo” to revamp the air traffic control system. But there was little legislative detail in the plan. There’s not much to other splashy announcements from the White House, including tax cuts and the arms deal with Saudi Arabia. And hundreds of positions are unfilled in federal agencies.
Morgan Parker: There Are More Beautiful Things than Beyoncé Morgan Parker says that the poems in her book There Are Things More Beautiful than Beyoncé take a stand against the clichés of the dominant culture.
Industry insights and lessons learned from memorable guests We have interesting guests on The Business, and sometimes our conversations are too long to fit into one show. This week we give you stories that were too good to leave on the cutting room floor, including some sharp insights on making it in the industry from David Mandel, David Simon, Shawn Levy and Matt Reeves.