Last August — a month after police shot and killed Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two years after police shot and killed Michael Brown and choked Eric Garner to death, and three years after wannabe cop George Zimmerman was acquitted for killing Trayvon Martin — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said afterward. “There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

His actions seemed to align with comments made by NBA stars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony at the ESPY awards that July, just a week after Sterling’s and Castile’s murders. They called on athletes to resurrect the activist tradition of Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, and others. “It’s not about being a role model, it’s not about our responsibility to the tradition of activism,” James said. “I know tonight we’re honoring Muhammad Ali, the GOAT, but to do his legacy any justice, let’s use this moment as call to action for all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence and renounce all violence . . . ”

After generations of basketball players reserving their voice for commercial endorsements — Michael Jordan’s “Republicans buy sneakers, too” and Charles Barkley’s “I am not a role model” — today’s stars’ willingness to take meaningful stances seemed like a welcome development.