The US Women’s Soccer Team made a bold statement by wearing uniforms displaying the message “Black Lives Matter.” Before the game, they released a statement affirming their stance against racial injustice and police brutality towards Black people.
The decision to wear these uniforms was perceived as a statement on human rights, not a political statement, according to the team’s tweets.
During the National Anthem, some team members knelt in protest, echoing similar actions seen in the past by athletes like Megan Rapinoe. The US Soccer Federation had previously banned such protests but repealed the policy amidst mass protests following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd.
This display of solidarity for social justice isn’t the first for the USWNT. They previously hid the US Soccer crest on their warm-up jerseys to protest the unequal pay they receive compared to male players.
