Ron Mix Adds Voice to Those Calling for Social Justice

Ron Mix didn’t jump on the social justice bandwagon amid the recent calls for change.

From his days at the University of Southern California through his pro career and his post-football life as a civil litigator who often helped ex-players, Mix has used his voice to shine light on aspects of the game demanding attention.

He hasn’t slowed down.

Now 82, Mix — a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 1979 — this week authored an essay titled “Black athlete activists have America's best interests at heart, deserve our support” that appears on Trojanswire.USAToday.com.

In this writing, elements of which some will consider controversial, Mix recounts several pivotal events in the social change movement, including details surrounding the boycott of the 1965 AFL All-Star Game that he experienced first-hand. He calls on “all retired football and basketball players who are the beneficiaries of the generosity of Black athletes … to reciprocate by becoming active in the fight for social and racial justice.”

You can read Mix’s full essay here.

Jon Kendle, the Hall’s Director of Archives & Football Information, further detailed the 1965 AFL All-Star Game in an article he wrote. It can be read here and includes a video of Mix discussing the boycott of the game.