5 Harvest Moons

Dreading November? Read Watch This.

By Mallorie Winn

“The truth is, we need less politics in sports.”

— Kelly Loeffler, Letter to the Commissioner

In early 2020, Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler was well-positioned to retain her seat in the United States Senate. In fact, the eventual winner, the Reverend Doctor Raphael Warnock, “trailed in double-digits for most of the race” (Beer, 2020). At the time, the Georgia Senate races were of major consequence. They would determine which party, Democrats or Republicans, held the majority vote in the United States Senate. 

Senator Kelly Loeffler was poised to hold onto her appointed seat. Then, she wrote a letter. 

The letter was sent to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in July 2020. It was everything you would expect from someone who reprimands others for participating in politics and sports, while they participate in politics and sports—hypocritical and patronizing.

Additionally, the letter was rife with contradictions. Loeffler (2020) acknowledged our “constitutional right to hold and express our views“ but discouraged “subscribing to a particular political agenda.” Senator Loeffler (2020) denounced political agendas in sports while she “emphatically opposed” Black Lives Matter. Loeffler’s (2020) letter concluded with a recommendation to seek unity by putting “an American flag on every jersey.”

What WNBA players decided to put on their clothing was far different from what Senator Loeffler recommended: “Vote Warnock.”

The documentary film, Power of the Dream, tells the astonishing story of professional women’s basketball players who took collective action to oust their team’s co-owner and successfully influence the United States Senate election in 2020. The decision to use clothing as speech would prove to be wildly impactful. Slogans such as “Black Lives Matter,” “Say Her Name,” “Arrest the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor,” “Change Starts With Us: Justice and Accountability,” and ultimately “Vote Warnock,” grabbed and kept the nation’s attention.

Many of us are not looking forward to the November presidential race for many reasons. If your reason stems from disbelief in the U.S. political system’s ability to function in service of advancing and protecting our human rights—watch this movie. Not because you need to change your mind. Rather, it’s important to see how well the system functions when people with intersectional identities and a deep understanding of our interconnectedness are calling the shots. 

Swish.