Introduction - Athleteactivism/Design-doc GitHub Wiki

Athlete Activism

The inspiration for this project follows a summer of civil unrest focused on the Black Lives Matter movement, specifically on the professional athletes involved, following the tragedy of George Floyd's death.

Across all major sports, both female and male, there was a large movement to protest the history of deaths at the hand of police brutality and racial inequality. The phrase "More than an Athlete" was never more appropriate as players were working hard in their respective sports and outside of them, leading the Black Lives Matter movement at the forefront. The actions and stances players and organizations had this summer surrounding racial discrimination added fuel to the long-established controversy concerning athletes and their right or lack thereof to speak up.

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"A lot of people talk about [how] Black Lives Matter is a movement,” Lebron James said. “It’s not a movement. When you’re black, it’s not a movement. It’s a lifestyle. This is a walk of life. When you wake up and you’re black, that’s what it is. This is who we are." - reported to the Washington Post in July of 2020

In this project, we aim to design an immersive virtual experience that follows the life of high profile athletes from their youth through stardom. This experience highlights their battles or perspectives on racism throughout their childhood and even through stardom today. We want the audience to feel the pressure and scrutiny that comes along with the fame and riches of these high profile athletes, as we invite people from different cultures on a journey to better understand the Black Lives Matter movement through the eyes of the athletes that led it.