August 26, 2020 was the day the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers both decided to make their statement about cases of police brutality by not playing their respective games.
August 26, 2016 was the day that, before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee native Colin Kaepernick made his own protest that sparked a firestorm and movement among athletes.
On that night, Kaepernick sat down instead of standing during the National Anthem before kickoff of their contest.
The move began a national firestorm of debate over the issue, as some athletes chose to follow Kaepernick’s lead.
Leagues have acted in different ways, with the NFL choosing for a year to force players who choose to be outside for the anthem to stand during it, while the NBA and WNBA gave their players a chance for sharing their feelings about social issues through “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts during warmups and similar actions.
The Bucks themselves chose to take a knee for their first game in the NBA end-of-season bubble this summer.
However, the Bucks’ decision is the first time in decades, at least, that a major pro sports team has chosen not to play a game in order to take a stand on a social issue.