Wild Card - Anthony Watson: Liberty or Death

Hannah Diffee

Professor Reppert

Media Law and Ethics

May 2025

Wild Card - Anthony Watson: "Liberty or Death"

On April 30th, former Olympian and Turning Point USA contributor Anthony Watson visited the Southern Arkansas University campus to discuss the importance of free speech. His talk, titled "Liberty or Death," touched on his experiences as an athlete and individual and encouraged audience members to stand up for their beliefs, regardless of the obstacles they might face.

Anthony Watson is a former Olympic athlete who competed in skeleton racing, a winter sport where athletes race bobsleds head-first down a steep and treacherous slope. Watson represented Jamaica in the 2018 Winter Olympics as the nation's first-ever athlete in the sport. He planned to continue competing, but his life took a drastic turn when he was asked about the "Black Lives Matter" movement in an interview and stated that it was "stupid." After that, his sponsors suspended his contracts for violating their morality clauses and presented him with two options: apologize for his comments, or have his contracts terminated. Watson refused to compromise his beliefs, leading to his sponsors dropping him altogether.

"My athletic career ended early because I spoke the truth," he shared in another interview. "The issues that BLM was protesting, marching, and burning cities for are still happening, and they haven't put a single kid through school. There hasn't been a community that they've fixed up, there hasn't been any money that they've donated to help anyone..."

Watson's speaker event was held at 6:30 p.m. in Foundation Hall, in the Donald W. Reynolds Campus & Community Center. Attendees were encouraged to reserve their tickets in advance or register at the door if needed. Members of SAU's Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter greeted everyone as they arrived and offered a variety of educational resources, including pocket Constitutions, Bills of Rights, and information about TPUSA events at both the campus and national levels. The lovely Trinity Foster, the current president of SAU's TPUSA chapter, showed me to my seat in the front of the auditorium.

Above: The table display included information about TPUSA, the organization's Student Action Summit, and its Young Women's Leadership Summit.

Above: The stage and seats were adorned with signs & posters reflecting Turning Point's values of small government, knowing one's rights, and protecting freedom.

Above: SAU TPUSA officers on stage. President Trinity Foster provided the opening remarks and introduced Watson.

Watson's speech centered on the concept of "standing": what it means to truly believe in something and the challenges one must be prepared to face when doing so. He first provided context by reading a dictionary definition of the word before diving into his personal experiences. He argued that many people claim to stand for issues they know nothing about or cannot speak passionately about, and far too many individuals are reactive rather than responsive. "Reactive" individuals react emotionally to events or situations instead of acting first to change or prevent the outcomes. "Responsive" individuals evaluate situations and handle them rationally. To truly stand for something, one must utilize responsive behavior.

Above: Examples of reactive versus responsive behavior

After being dropped by his athletic sponsors, Watson faced a class-action lawsuit that he ultimately lost, resulting in a loss of $298,000. This incident severely damaged his credit, preventing him from opening a bank account, renting an apartment, or taking out a loan for several years. 

"Standing for something isn't just telling someone to do something--it's being challenged," he shared. And Watson was definitely challenged. Despite these challenges, he did not let fear take hold and stood firm in his beliefs, choosing not to take the easier route that would have led to greater material wealth or success. After reflecting for many years, Watson does not regret his choice. "I did something that I can be at peace with," he said. He urged others to also learn about and stand for issues that are important to them. "All it takes is one person." The journey may be isolating and discouraging, but we must endure now to "enjoy the fruits of our labor" in the future.

Above: Anthony Watson speaking at the event (Source: SAU TPUSA Instagram)

Above: Watson posing with audience members (Source: SAU TPUSA Instagram) 

Anthony Watson's visit to Southern Arkansas University was an incredible reminder of the importance of free speech and the power of standing firm in one's beliefs. His message encouraged all of us to advocate for the truth and to remain strong in the face of adversity.

Above: SAU's TPUSA chapter has faced backlash from certain members of the campus community. Flyers for the event were placed across campus, and all flyers in the Brinson Arts Building were torn down (see pictured). However, the chapter has preserved and "stood strong" in its mission.