•HRES 283 IH 
Whereas Willie O’Ree became the first Black player in the 
history of the National Hockey League playing for the 
Boston Bruins, earning the mantra as the ‘‘Jackie Robin-
son of hockey’’, and is still active in promoting diversity 
in the sport; 
Whereas policy enhancements, such as the Rooney Rule in 
the National Football League (NFL), have progressed in-
clusion and diversity in sports leagues and would poten-
tially have a significant impact if applied to organizations 
in other industries; 
Whereas accounts of both blatant and subtle racism have jus-
tifiably captured the attention of fans when publicly dis-
closed in years past, and the recent hateful and 
unapologetic tropes cast by public figures, particularly 
the President, have elevated the issue of racism in sports 
to a national discussion; 
Whereas the University of Florida has recorded 52 acts of 
racism in sports in 2018, an increase of 11 compared to 
the previous year; 
Whereas internationally the number of instances of racism in 
sports more than doubled in 2018 compared to the prior 
year; 
Whereas within the last month the Utah Jazz, of the Na-
tional Basketball Association (NBA), levied a lifetime 
ban against a fan who deliberately and repeatedly called 
NBA star Russell Westbrook ‘‘boy’’ leading up to a game 
in Salt Lake City, Utah; 
Whereas athletes in several sports leagues who were initially 
inspired by NFL player Colin Kaepernick chose to exer-
cise their constitutional right by abstaining from partici-
pating in the national anthem to shed light on the killing 
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•HRES 283 IH 
of unarmed Black men by police officers and the wide-
spread injustices that minorities still face; 
Whereas xenophobic, misogynistic, and racist rhetoric should 
not be condoned in any circumstance, a basic value that 
has been ignored by the President when he aims hateful 
comments at athletes of color in his public comments on 
the internet and at rallies; 
Whereas the President’s behavior seems to have had a spill- 
over effect on others who now feel enticed to propel rac-
ism and hate speech in the name of sports rivalries; 
Whereas players like Russell Westbrook have received fines 
for responding to fans’ racist, threatening, or antago-
nistic comments; 
Whereas racism has been documented as a lingering problem 
in some locker rooms over the years, and closeted racism 
has recently become an issue at the ownership level; 
Whereas Donald Sterling, who had owned the NBA’s Los An-
geles Clippers, was captured on tape making denigrating, 
racist comments about African Americans and NBA leg-
end Earvin ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson, Jr.; 
Whereas the media’s role in advancing racial undertones and 
race-based expectations continues to be latent, such as 
when Serena Williams, who is hailed as the best female 
tennis player of all time, received racially charged press 
coverage for her passion and drive described as ‘‘out-
bursts’’, while her White colleagues often do not receive 
such criticism for similar displays of passion; 
Whereas debate has sparked around the Cleveland Indians 
and Washington Redskins for their use of logos viewed 
as racist, demeaning, and inconsiderate; 
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•HRES 283 IH 
Whereas the Washington Redskins owner has refused to en-
tertain the idea of changing the name of the team, while 
the Cleveland Indians announced the decision to remove 
their controversial team logo from all uniforms but con-
tinue to sell merchandise emblazoned with the logo; 
Whereas the continued success of athletes of color over the 
years has led to a series of successes by players, includ-
ing former NFL quarterback Doug Williams’ success 
winning a Super Bowl, shattering the construct pre-
viously subscribed to by NFL coaches and scouts, and di-
minishing the negative, inaccurate connotations pre-
viously held against African-American quarterbacks; 
Whereas, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, FIFA imposed 
penalties against Russia for its fans’ racist behavior 
aimed at France’s players of color; 
Whereas because the popularity of sports has a wide reach 
that expands demographics, sports have a unique poten-
tial to steer the conversation around discrimination and 
racism; 
Whereas sports have always been based on the principle of 
a level playing field in which achievement is not based on 
race, ethnicity, or religion, but simply on a player’s abil-
ity; and 
Whereas major sports leagues have sought to expand diver-
sity and invest in communities of color, but there is still 
more work to be done around altering the public dis-
course on race and racism: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
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•HRES 283 IH 
(1) athletes have the right to exercise their con-
stitutionally protected right to freedom of speech; 
(2) racism in sports must be combatted and un-
equivocally condemned; and 
(3) public officials should use their platform to 
encourage diversity in sports and highlight role mod-
els for young members of minority communities. 
Æ 
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