The Milwaukee Bucks Just Went on Strike. You Can, Too.
To protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks sat out Game 5 of the NBA playoffs — and forced the entire league to shut down. The Bucks players are workers who shut down their workplace with a strike. You can go on strike, too.
Players kneel and wear Black Lives Matter shirts before the start of an NBA basketball game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics on July 31 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Ashley Landis-Pool / Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks need one more victory over the Orlando Magic to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs. But as the end-of-warmup buzzer sounded on Wednesday afternoon, the court was empty. Instead of getting ready for tip-off, the Bucks were demanding to talk to the Attorney General of Wisconsin.
The Bucks refused to play to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, an hour south of Milwaukee. Officers from the Kenosha Police Department shot Blake, a twenty-nine-year-old black man, in the back. Blake is currently paralyzed and unconscious. His three young children witnessed the shooting.
In other words, the Milwaukee Bucks went on strike. They risked losing money and career advancement to demand justice.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.