A Contemporary Look at How Athletes’ Voices Lead to Political Change

By Marcus Smith

In August of 2016 following the San Francisco 49ers pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers, Colin Kaepernick addressed the media from his team’s locker room. He was asked, “What are you trying to accomplish with this protest of the national anthem?” He responded by saying, “Ultimately it’s to bring awareness… This country stands for freedom, liberty, and justice for all. And it’s not happening for all right now… These aren’t new situations, this isn’t new ground, these are things that have gone on in this country for years and years and they need to be addressed… I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed, this is something that has to change.” After listening to Colin, what I really wanted to know is, how could this protest bring actual change for racial minorities in America? How do these words create action? Better yet, what other athletes are actually going to put their own money, time, and brand on the line to effectuate needed political change? In the upcoming paragraphs I’ll shine a light on some of the athletes that are taking steps beyond their words and making real concrete efforts to create political and legal change in the world. Read full article

Marcus Smith is a Doctoral Student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati. His research interests include Race & Racism, Black Males, Sports, & Education.