In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series "28 Black Stories in 28 Days." We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the third installment of the series.

Each year this series begins with a question: Is it still needed? The answer, unfortunately, is yes, as hate crimes continue to rise.

The answer, unfortunately, is yes, as we just witnessed the brutal attack on Tyre Nicholsover a traffic stop leading to murder charges against five police officers.

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