Human rights and civil liberties
Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves reacts Saturday, July 21, 1973, in Atlanta after hitting 700th career home run against the Philadelphia Phillies. (AP Photo)
Aaron's death prompts call to change name: Braves to Hammers

By Paul Newberry Jan. 23, 2021 02:29 PM EST

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020 file photo, Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) readies for the play in the second quarter during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Minneapolis. Eric Kendricks and the Minnesota Vikings have had a rough year between the lines, but the 2019 All-Pro linebacker, whose 2020 season has been shortened by a calf injury, has made quite an impact off the field. He’s the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, for his community work focused on criminal justice reform. (AP Photo/David Berding, File)
Vikings LB Kendricks has done vital work on and off field

By Dave Campbell Dec. 31, 2020 02:46 PM EST

FILE - Driver Bubba Wallace wears a Black Lives Matter shirt as he prepares for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Martinsville, Va., in this Wednesday, June 10, 2020, file photo. In a most unusual year already thrown into chaos by the coronavirus pandemic, many athletes took unprecedented steps when a nationwide reckoning on race spilled into the streets of American cities after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, while in Minneapolis police custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
Athletes act: Stars rise up against racial injustice in 2020

By Cliff Brunt Dec. 29, 2020 01:41 PM EST

NFL stars joined students in virtual chats about racism

By Rob Maaddi Dec. 25, 2020 01:52 AM EST
For several NFL stars, speaking out against social injustice meant speaking to youngsters about racism. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce,...

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, file photo, Curtis Flowers flanked by sister Priscilla Ward, right, exits the Winston Choctaw Regional Correctional Facility in Louisville, Miss. The NFL says it is honoring Flowers, a Black man from Mississippi who was imprisoned more than 22 years. He was freed in late 2019, months after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the last of his several convictions in a quadruple murder case. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
NFL honors Mississippi man freed after 22 years in prison

By Emily Wagster Pettus Dec. 24, 2020 03:06 PM EST

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11/29/2020

Nov. 29, 2020 04:16 PM EST

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2017, file photo, then-Philadelphia Eagles tight end Trey Burton (88) has a photo taken with former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. Acho has enjoyed a spectacular rise off the field, beginning with his desire to take on racism. Acho celebrated his 30th birthday this week with the official release of his book: “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” His YouTube series with the same name has already amassed over 65 million views in five months.(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)
Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho tackles racism in new book

By Rob Maaddi Nov. 12, 2020 04:23 PM EST

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2017, file photo, then-Philadelphia Eagles tight end Trey Burton (88) has a photo taken with former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. Acho has enjoyed a spectacular rise off the field, beginning with his desire to take on racism. Acho celebrated his 30th birthday this week with the official release of his book: “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” His YouTube series with the same name has already amassed over 65 million views in five months.(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys 11/19/2017

Nov. 12, 2020 11:04 AM EST

The Michael Jordan statue stands in front of an I Voted banner on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in the atrium of the United Center, transformed for the first time into a super voting site in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Voting, activism replace practice, games in US sports world

By Howard Fendrich Nov. 03, 2020 06:43 PM EST

Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson (8) tries to pass against Philadelphia Eagles' Rodney McLeod (23) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Rodney McLeod's voting initiative includes fun events

By Rob Maaddi Oct. 29, 2020 12:52 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2016, file photo, Vivek Ranadive, the majority owner of the Sacramento Kings, poses in the new Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. Golden 1 Center will be among the places Californians in the area can vote from Saturday until the polls close on the evening of Nov. 3. “There’s no better way to make the world a better place than by making it easy for people to vote," Ranadive said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
Arenas, stadiums find new life as safer options for voting

By Kate Brumback And Larry Lage Oct. 22, 2020 08:47 AM EDT

FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2018, file photo, Philadelphia Eagles' Malcolm Jenkins (27) and New England Patriots' Devin McCourty answer questions in St. Paul, Minn. Jenkins has teamed with fellow NFL players to launch a venture capital fund, Broad Street Ventures on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. The fund focuses on late stage and growth stage technology and consumer products. Jenkins and co-founder Ralonda Johnson recruited additional NFL players and industry leaders to represent the fund. Among them are defensive backs Devin and Jason McCourty of the Patriots. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Malcolm Jenkins says therapy helps him cope with stress

By Rob Maaddi Oct. 14, 2020 04:43 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2019, file photo, free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick arrives for a workout for NFL football scouts and media in Riverdale, Ga. Kaepernick’s publishing company is putting out a collection of 30 essays over the next four weeks about abolition, police and prisons. The project is titled: “Abolition For the People: The Movement For A Future Without Policing & Prisons.” Kaepernick envisioned and curated this project following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. (AP Photo/Todd Kirkland, File)
Kaepernick's company publishing essays on policing, prisons

Oct. 06, 2020 12:33 PM EDT

FILE - In this May 10, 2019, file photo, Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, left, and general manager Chris Grier walk off the field at NFL rookie camp in Davie, Fla. Flores and Grier are among the six Black coaches, general managers and high-ranking executives in the NFL. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
NFL players past and present want more action from owners

By Rob Maaddi Oct. 02, 2020 02:45 AM EDT

Former Falcons and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick signs autographs in the NFL Shop at the Super Bowl Experience in Atlanta in Jan. 31, 2019 file photo. Vick is working with the LeBron James-led political empowerment group More Than A Vote and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to help other former felons pay fines that are preventing them from voting. His journey is being chronicled in new documentary miniseries. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Michael Vick working to clear way for Fla. ex-felons to vote

By Kyle Hightower Sep. 27, 2020 11:07 AM EDT

New England Patriots free safety Devin McCourty, right, is greeted by his twin brother, cornerback Jason McCourty, left, after Devin McCourty intercepted a pass for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
The Latest: Seahawks' Diggs ejected for helmet-to-helmet hit

By The Associated Press Sep. 20, 2020 12:47 PM EDT

New York Giants players line up on the field for a video tribute to Black history before playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Steelers hold sign, many Giants kneel for national anthem

Sep. 14, 2020 07:51 PM EDT

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, center, celebrates his touchdown with teammates center Jason Kelce (62) and during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Al Drago)
Washington gets 8 sacks, rallies for 27-17 win over Eagles

By Rob Maaddi Sep. 13, 2020 05:45 PM EDT

Players kneel in remembrance of Rep.. John Lewis, D-Ga., during the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Racial injustice themes fill empty NFL stadiums

By Jimmy Golen Sep. 13, 2020 02:49 PM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 file photo, fans stand for a presentation on social justice before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans in Kansas City, Mo. The NFL's new stance encouraging players to take a stand against racial injustice got its first test as some fans of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs booed during a moment of silence to promote the cause, touching off a fresh debate on how players should use their voice. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Chiefs, Texans booed as racial justice stand sparks outrage

By Heather Hollingsworth Sep. 11, 2020 06:25 PM EDT