For a city with a black population of just 8 percent, Seattle has always had a rich tradition of resistance to racism, stretching from the civil-rights movement to a particularly unique and effective chapter of the Black Panther Party to today’s movement for black lives.1

On Wednesday, another chapter in that history will be written. Over 1,000 Seattle educators plan to attend school wearing T-shirts to school that read “Black Lives Matter/We Stand Together.” This action was supported unanimously by their union, the Seattle Education Association, and has been backed by people like 1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos, Noam Chomsky, Jonathan Kozol, and Melissa Harris-Perry. These prominent names and others signed onto a statement of support that reads:2

Seattle teachers…have our full support. In the United States today, we cannot do enough to affirm and support our black students. Seattle’s teachers are not only well within their right to exercise freedom of speech by wearing such T-shirts, they are making an important gesture of solidarity—one that gives us hope for the future.3

After the school day, there will be a rally and roundtable discussion that will include community leaders, teachers, students, Seattle-born Grammy Award–winning artist Kimya Dawson and the Seattle Seahawks’ Michael Bennett.4

It is not merely the presence of the outspoken Bennett that also makes this a sports story. This action showcases the dynamic relationship between sports and social movements. The seeds of this action were planted last month when teachers at Seattle’s John Muir Elementary were going to wear Black Lives Matter shirts to coincide with a community cultural festival only to have their school face bomb threats for their efforts. Their event was canceled, but the idea for a citywide solidarity event started to take shape.5

Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest for police accountability is creating space for others to take their own actions. At Seattle’s Garfield High School, the football team and the women’s volleyball team made national news by taking a knee during the anthem. These young people also faced threats of violence for their actions but students, faculty, and administration stood together.6

This put Seattle on the map nationally in discussions both on the sports pages and in Black Lives Matter circles. Now the teachers are taking it to the next level in a manner organically connected with the actions of students. Alongside community leaders and members of the Seattle Seahawks, members of the Garfield sports teams who took a knee will be part of leading Wednesday’s after-school rally as well.7