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Serena Williams made waves recently with a Facebook post denouncing police brutality, which was met with an expectedly high level of resistance.What was surprising were those who said Williams was trying to capitalize on this moment -- those who wondered why she chose now, when Colin Kaepernick has been the catalyzing image of this issue.Heres what she posted:Her perspective is a sobering look into the existence of Black America, including, but not limited to, a black woman who experiences those fears while being one of the most prominent athletes in the world.Despite the publics selective memory, Williams is not capitalizing on Kaepernicks protest. She has made it a point to speak out about the Black Lives Matter movement in the past few years.?In November 2015, she wrote for Wired on this very issue: Im a black woman, and I am in a sport that wasnt really meant for black people. ...So to those of you involved in equality movements like Black Lives Matter, I say this: Keep it up. Dont let those trolls stop you. Weve been through so much for so many centuries, and we shall overcome this too (see Get Up, Stand Up). To other people, I say: When someones harassing someone else, speak up!Serena also spoke about this in July, after she?raised her fist in pride and later won Wimbledon, having just tied Steffi Graf with the most major wins of any tennis player, and mirroring John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics. After she gave us that powerful image, she spoke about the spate of murders of unarmed black men, such as Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, while denouncing the then-recent shootings of policemen in Dallas, expressing the fear she had for her nephews. She told reporters:Perhaps the fact that youre only hearing her now indicates the effectiveness of the broader protest in amplifying her voice. But with all the evidence that Williams has spoken up about Black Lives Matters in the past, its quite an incredible spectacle to see a movement spurred by Kaepernick (a backup quarterback, as the least vitriolic critics refer to him) elevating the voice of the highest-profile woman in sports. It took a backup quarterback -- and a man -- for the general public to listen to her.Of course, this isnt the first time womens activism has taken a backseat to mens. In July, a group of prominent NBA players including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony opened the ESPYS with an impassioned speech on Black Lives Matter. But, just a few days before the award ceremony, members of the Minnesota Lynx wore warm-up T-shirts declaring that Black Lives Matter and calling for Change and Accountability.The next day the New York Liberty followed suit, also donning?shirts?reading #Dallas5 to honor the slain officers, and in the ensuing weeks several other teams joined in. A week after the ESPYS, the WNBA tried to fine a few of these teams, but ultimately decided not to after several pointed out that the men had not been similarly punished for wearing I Cant Breathe shirts following the death of Eric Garner.You could easily say that the platform of the ESPYS combined with the much higher profile of the NBA players accounts for them making bigger headlines than their WNBA counterparts. But its pretty telling that Serena, whose every move down to her manicure choices is endlessly scrutinized, went largely unheard on this issue until now, until Kaepernick focused everyones attention.Her sister Venus, also among the most prominent women in sports, unfortunately made headlines by saying all lives matter after being asked about her Serenas post, which she said she hadnt read. This isnt the space to go into why those words are hurtful and unhelpful -- here?and here?are some links to help you with that -- but her use of those words is disappointing in their dismissiveness nonetheless.That said, the vitriol leveled against Venus in response -- disparaging her as the lesser sister, tearing down her successful campaign for equal pay, even questioning her athletic achievements -- only displays the ways in which the fight for equality often comes in terms of contradiction rather than necessary intersectionality, and even perhaps reluctant compromise.Its true that the feminist movement has often, if mostly, manifested in white terms, leaving behind racial equality among women in the name of furthering some nebulous, homogeneous sense of womanhood. But we dont need to bring down women in order to raise up the cause for civil rights, and if anybody knows that truth, its women of color, particularly black women. If anyone has been at the forefront of furthering both causes simultaneously, its the Williams sisters -- both of them.Venus has had to endure every argument of female athletic inferiority in her fight for equal pay. Meanwhile, Serena has been projected with every negative aspect of not only athletic inferiority, but of feminine inferiority, body image, achievement, success, etiquette, high expectations, low expectations, celebrity, fame, dating -- all of which have been informed by notions of race.That extends to her voice, which she has used in the past but is only being heard now.That doesnt stop with Serena. As The Undefeateds Mark J. Spears covered extensively this weekend, Warriors power forward David West has also publicly protested the national anthem for years. As West said, his stance is about much more than police brutality against the black community -- its about the various ways he sees his community being subjugated, far beyond issues of civics.What about education? What about infant mortality? How about how we die younger and our babies die sooner? West said. We die. [Black men] have the shortest life expectancy. Cmon, man. The health care system? There are so many [issues]. ...I cant start talking about civic issues. I cant start talking about civility and being a citizen if m--f-- dont even think Im a human being. How can you talk about progress and how humans interrelate with one another when you dont even recognize our humanity?West told Spears he doesnt see Kaepernick, et als, protests having a lasting impact. Its an understandable perspective from one of many voices who have gone unheard for so long -- until now.Jeff Hornacek Jersey . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Dante Exum Jersey . 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It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.Sandeep Patil, Indias former chairman of selectors, has said there were lots of discussions around the future of MS Dhonis limited-overs captaincy around the time he retired from Test cricket in December 2014. Dhonis unexpected exit from the longest format mid-way through Indias Test series in Australia came as a shock Patil said, but he was happy that Dhoni decided to move on when he realised his mental and physical fitness were not up to scratch.Patil, whose four-year term as chief selector ended today, said his panel deliberated making a leadership change in ODIs then, but eventually decided not to keeping in mind the 2015 World Cup was only a couple of months away at the time. Absolutely [Dhonis captaincy was under threat]. There were lots of discussions that happened regarding that, [and] its not like they happened once, they happened a lot, Patil told ABP News. There was discussion about his one-day captaincy, there were discussions on his finishing…But we selected him because… a time had come, the World Cup had come - [if] you try before the World Cup giving a new player the captaincy seat, [you should] give him a good run. But that opportunity didnt come to the selectors. We didnt have enough time to experiment.Dhoni, who still captains India in ODIs and T20s, had announced his retirement shortly after the Boxing Day Test ended in Melbourne, with the team trailing 2-0 after three matches with one to play. Patil said that Australian tour was a tough one for the team and Dhonis decision was sudden, but he was best placed to decide on his future. I wouldnt want to say… that it was a sinking ship, but it was a tough series. Our players had to face quite a few difficulties there, the performance wasnt quite right, save for Virat Kohli.In such a situation, for a senior player to take this decision - to suddenly take this decision - was shocking. There was a lot of discussion even among us [selectors], How did this happen?But it was his decision. What the player is thinking and understands… his body, his thinking, his fitness, only he can decide on all those things. Selectors cant decide that. I feel that Dhoni understood this and took the right decision at the right time.Patil said the selectors did ask Dhoni about the timing of his retirement when the panel next met to select an ODI squad. But, in the end, the decision was a selfless one, he said. [Since it was mid-way through a series], we questioned him and his response was that this is the level of contribution that should be coming from me to the team, when that wasnt happening, then I myself felt that I should be out. Very few players can take a decision like that. Very few players can think like that. Everyonne generally thinks I should play more, let me play one more series, let me play for another year…The other big retirement Patils panel had to deal with was even more high-profile: the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar.dddddddddddd Patil recollected the precise moment he first had a chat with Tendulkar about his plans for the future, in December 2012. Patil said Tendulkar made the decision to quit ODIs after he and fellow selector Rajinder Hans had that chat with him during the Nagpur Test against England. The selectors, Patil said, did not force anything on Tendulkar.I remember, it was a Test match in Nagpur, December, 2012. After Sachin got out that was when we, the selectors, decided that we will go to Sachin and ask him what his intention is. And that was a job I did, because I was the chairman, and Hans paaji was also with me, and we spoke to him to know what he had in mind.We have never told any player, let it be Sachin Tendulkar or any other player, that is enough, now we are going to drop you. We wanted to ask whats the plan in your mind. [And] Sachin wanted to focus more on Test cricket. So when we spoke - and it was quite an open discussion - he decided that he will retire from one-day cricket and, in front of me, he called Sanjay Jagdale, who was the [BCCI] secretary then. He himself said I dont want to play one-day cricket now. I felt that was a very good thing what Sachin did.Tendulkars Test retirement came a year later, following a farewell series against West Indies in November 2013.Former India opener Virender Sehwag, who had previously told ESPNcricinfo that he was hurt the manner in which the selectors dropped him in 2013, more recently said it would have been nice if the selectors had offered him a farewell Test as well. Patil said while he empathised with the players, it was not their right to ask for a farewell match. If you decide that everybody should get a farewell, then it becomes wrong. And this decision is not the players, its the BCCIs. I can understand how it feels, because I too have come through that phase. You talk of Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar... The farewell that Sachin got, that was different.But, perhaps, after that, the expectation went up among the rest that I too should get one. But it didnt happen, and they felt unhappy, became annoyed. And I understand why they became displeased, but the sport is such that when you... retire, many things come out; many things that you shouldnt say, you end up saying, and later there is repentance. But we dont place much importance on these things. ' ' '