In the light of recent times, athlete activism has become a more powerful force for all types of social change. With athletes using their platforms to use their voices and bring awareness as well as shed light on important social and political issues. Athletes’ activism is becoming more and more widely accepted in the fact that more athletes are stepping up to bring attention to issues that need to be addressed and or fixed in the public eye. As for the public eye having this type of activism brought to their attention through social media, athletes can now more than ever have easier access to getting their voices heard by their fans and followers, in which their followers can help spread concerns and even interest others into following along …show more content…
that respond to their activism. Athlete activism can be seen as a good way for athletes to use the platform they are given for good and to bring awareness to certain issues or likewise these actions and or words that athletes use or display may be seen in a bad/negative way in regards to them “abusing” the platform that they have been given. All in all, this comes down to the athletes’ original intentions, as well as how the media and even society has twisted their words and or interpreted their actions to crank out misinformation to the general public. As seen in more recent media headlines, there would be almost any big-name NFL player. One specific example of this would be Colin Kaepernick. Colin Kaepernick was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, his name has become super controversial to a lot of people because of his infamous kneeling during the national anthem at a game. There are several pictures all over the internet that paint Colin Kaepernick in many different …show more content…
When this picture was taken and then posted on the internet, it almost in a sense “broke the internet” there were numerous news and journal pages reporting on this, and a lot of people twisted Kaepernick’s original intentions of kneeling during the anthem. Like mentioned previously, Kaepernick did this to make a stance on police brutality and racial inequality in America, but his words were almost pulled out of his mouth and stamped into the internet before the game was even over and for him to even explain to the internet why he did what he did. In a video published on YouTube by ABC News, Kaepernick tells his side of the story. “No, that was once again we have cops that are murdering people, we have cops in the S.F.P.D. that are blatantly racist, and those issues need to be addressed” (ABC News). Similar protests/demonstrations can be seen having taken place on an even bigger stage than just live television dealing with the N.F.L. This stage is the stage of the one and only Olympic
Athletes do not always get in trouble, but when they do some athletes tend to have favoritism shown to them by the law enforcement. When it comes to athletes that break the law, one major viewpoint is that some athletes tend to get special treatment when they commit crimes because they are famous, but with harsher consequences. Athletes are supposed to be role models for younger kids who look up to them, but they are getting in trouble and causing controversy for all the wrong reasons and it is affecting their careers, the athletes might not think that it is because of the favoritism that law enforcement shows them, but it is. When athletes do commit crimes law enforcement tends to be bias toward them because they are known around the world (Withers). Therefore, this causes a lot of controversy surrounding the athlete because many people believe that they do not get disciplined like they should.
The NFL in particular is known for its focus on order, power and control, where operations are anonymous and interchangeable. With that players and employees are none else than compliant with league regulations. In this case Colin Kaepernick’s protest had the ability to go against the grain and break the façade of being afraid to voice his opinions. Today’s generation has become very open to sharing their opinions on social issues and Kapernick’s protest is just an addition. This protest instantly became political because of the fact that police brutality and racial is becoming a persistently uncomfortable issue that our country is facing. Every single there is something new about citizens being killed by the police for no reason, including recent cases such as Philando Castle and Terence Crutcher. Such issues will not be resolved until our society stands against it as a whole. It takes public figures such as Colin Kaepernick to stand with citizens to bring awareness about these issues in order to force change in the government and society. Whether industry leaders like it or not, I believe that such protest will continue to grow. Athletes and entertainers will continue to voice their opinions about social issues until changes come into effect.
In an attempt to persuade the audience to sympathize with Kaepernick or his chosen protest, the author provides information on Kaepernick’s injuries and personal struggles. Wyche explains that Kaepernick is true to his conviction by Kaepernick having taken the time to understand the situation before he acted. In an interview after one of Kaepernick’s games, Kaepernick explains that the reason he chose to sit down during the national anthem was bigger than football itself and that it would be selfish if he did not pay any attention to what is going on outside of professional football. “I have to stand up for people that are oppressed… If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right,” (Wyche 7) Kaepernick, in defense, told reporters in an interview. Wyche included this interview in his article to help persuade the audience on whether or not Kaepernick was doing this for publicity or out of true conviction for the cause. “…Using their platform and status to raise awareness to issues affecting minorities in the U.S,” (Wyche 4) Wyche explains in his article, stating that Kaepernick’s movement is truly to raise awareness. Wyche also attempts to persuade the audience by explaining that Kaepernick is biracial and could, therefor, understand both sides if the issue of
At one point african american athletes were not able to fight racism by being the best in the world at what they loved. In the past couple of years that has changed. Now days african american athletes are the idols fro many white and black individuals. Because of this whole change on how white people sees the professional black athletes in comparison to the black communities indicates that they way race and gender are represented in sports has no connection to our society. Is not an accurate comparison at all. While some policemen are being racist to the black communities, those same policemen pay money to see their african american idol do what they love to do. This is why I believe african american professional athlete should use their platform to spread their perspective on the racial issues this country is going through. Many people does not like the way Colin Kaepernick is protesting against the racial injustice, but by just kneeling during the anthem he is bringing the racial injustice topic to be seen as a national level. This are the type of action african american professional athletes should be doing to try to equal the respect they get in the court to the respect a black individual should have in the
After calling all athletes who kneeled during the National Anthem cruel names, not only did more kneelers appear, but the standing teammates linked arms showing unity. Their reason may not’ve been only to protest on racial injustice, but to rebel against Donald Trump and show that this is their right. Various people, including President Trump, think that every athlete who has kneeled should be fired because they should not be able to protest in such a disrespectful way. It’s not only fans who find this protest wrong, but even some players do, including Drew Brees. Brees says he agrees with the context of the protest, but not the actions of it stating, "[I]t's an oxymoron that you're sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak
In America today athletic events play an important role in the reflective perception and financial standing of any given community. It is for this reason that the individuals involved in these events are also of significance to the community. Due to the esteemed and very influential role placed on athletes they are often times given privileges that would not normally be given to them if they were not athletes. These privileges are given in order to recruit the athletes, and once recruited to maintain their status on the team so that, in turn, the team's status is not adversely affected. To understand the importance of the role of an athlete one must first examine the role of the athletic event in which the athlete participates and the level of importance placed on this event.
When I was told to pick a topic that was problematic and related to civil disobedience, I immediately thought of an event that got more media coverage than anything else in August of 2016. Headlines resembling phrases like “Disrespect to Our Great Nation”, “Black Lives Matter Advocate Crosses Line”, and “Footballer Disrespects Military”. Other headlines included ones like “Football Player Takes a Stand by Taking a Knee”, and “NFL Player Uses Platform for Social Justice”. The national anthem in sports has traditionally been known and characterized with celebrities, and elaborate performances. However, in August of 2016 Colin Kaepernick changed that by taking a knee in protest for the mistreatment and oppression of people of color. Initially,
Issues of racial injustices have been a problem in the United States throughout generations. Athletes have always had their opinions on racial issues and have never seemed to hesitate to speak their mind. Recently Colin Kaepernick has been sitting out of the National Anthem to protest for “black lives matter.” The representation of race in the Article, Tommie Smith, iconic 1968 Olympics activist, defends Colin Kaepernick’s protest, by Nancy Armour, is a modern way to protest the racial injustices our country has been facing. Colin Kaepernick is simply standing up for what he believes in. It’s easy to say that he’s even following in the shoes of Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Smith, and Carlos in their stances on racial issues. Critics of Colin
Social justice in sports is key to having relationships in sport as well as in a career. To understand this, people need understand the definition of social justice. Social justice is defined by John Rawls as basic liberties that should be given to all people. When this is fully understood, people should examine the idea of giving benefits to the weakest people in the community (Robinson, 2015, p. 1). When one applies the definition of social justice to sports, it brings out the many flaws that the sports demonstrate. The significance of social justice in sports brings attention to issues of gender, race, age and ability, and social class, and how they should be rather than how they are currently seen.
for inept behavior; however, that group is the minority. There are more athletes in the world setting great examples than they are getting into. trouble, but the good doesn’t always make the news simply because the bad. is more interesting to viewers. No one in the media is interested in what Christmas event Andre Johnson attended or how much Tim Tebow puts into his W15H Foundation.
Colin Kapernick and one of his teammates were the first to kneel during the National Anthem during their last preseason game in 2016. This started a massive protest in the NFL and in other professional sports as well. Players around the country are kneeling, sitting, or raising a fist to protest how black people are treated by law enforcement. I do not agree with Kapernick or the other athletes who are kneeling during the National Anthem because they are disrespecting our country and flag as a whole, and it is hurting the game of football. First, Kapernick and other players are disrespecting our country and flag as a whole.
Some NFL teams even were involved in the “Take a Knee” Movement for reasons like these starting in 2016. Though these things are happening in our country, it doesn't mean we aren’t working on them and supporting them in turn. That also doesn’t mean our country is in the right spot, or can’t improve in the future. By working together towards positive change and standing united, we can strive for a better future for all and respect America. While social issues should be discussed and everyone is entitled to exercise their freedom of speech, we can’t forget who paved the way for us to have those freedoms in the first place (“The
Introduction The world of sports has long been intertwined with political and social issues. From the civil rights movement to recent protests against racial injustice, athletes have used their platforms to advocate for change. However, there is a recurring sentiment that athletes should "stick to sports" and avoid expressing political opinions. This essay explores whether this expectation privileges certain athletes and marginalizes others, and whether certain political opinions are more welcomed in sports. By examining historical and contemporary examples, the essay will argue that the "stick to sports" sentiment often reflects broader societal power dynamics and biases, privileging certain voices while silencing others.
The use of social media in sports is a relatively new trend. Social media has enabled people to become more interactive with their favorite celebrities, athletes, and sports teams. Social media allows fan’s to keep up with their favorite teams with up to date news and it also helps the organization, specifically their marketing department. Sports teams have utilized Facebook and Twitter pages for their organizations in hopes of gaining revenue as well as the attention of their fans and casual fans. Social media is constantly evolving to keep up with the newest social trends and fads.
The downfall of the influence that the media has on sports is that they can be bias toward situation that may arise in the sports world. There can also be too much or not enough sports coverage on at time when society needs them. Athletes often feel that they receive too much attention and can’t live their lives. A prime example is Seattle Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch, who has publicly voiced his frustration with the media, even going as far as answering every question asked with “I’m just here, so I wont get fined” twenty-five times during Super Bowl media