509934778_Izzeldin_Workshop_Rogerian_Argument_5626840302126113

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Athlete Activism Sports continues to be one of the most powerful people-uniting events in the world, even in times of extraneous misunderstandings. With such power comes great responsibility. Innumerable scholars contended that sport does not occur in isolation from larger societal issues. Instead, it offers a platform where other various types of subjugation, like sexism, racism, or economic stratification, are reproduced, intensified, and/or overlooked (Galily 9). The top athletes command the highest following over social media accounts, providing them with financial as well as social power to spark conversations and positive change. Moreover, when top athletes speak on injustices, their voice seems more convincing and trustable, able to inspire the desired changes across the social and political spectrum (Sanderson et al. 307). However, often, especially for athletes of color, speaking out often comes with deadly repercussions, raising the question of whether to act or not to act. This paper explores the arguments for participating and not participating in social justice activism by sports personalities in the U.S. and globally. Reasons for Social Justice Activism Armstrong & Ted (20) revealed that Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 on-field protests against police brutality caused his NFL contract. Colin Kaepernick used his stage as an NFL player to speak against the injustices in society and become one of the few brave athlete activists. Although Kaepernick lost his contract, more than 200 other NFL players engaged in some form of protest during the national anthem the following 2017-2018 NFL season. Kaepernick was not the first athlete to engage in activist action and conversation (Armstrong & Ted, 20). Sports players are stakeholders in their teams and franchises. Thus, as stakeholders, they have the right to desire to affect change in their organization and the wider sports industry. Thus, the world of business, in this case, the sports business, is not separate from the world of ethics

and politics, and subsequently, athletes should do what they can to help inspire positive change—ethically and politically. The experiences throughout one’s life help shape their identity. An individual like Colin Kaepernick, a person of color, had multiple first-hand experiences with inequity in America and also heard from the tales of friends and relatives. From those experiences, he formed an identity—a set of meanings that defined who he was regardless of his role or occupation in society. It was his identity that pushed Colin Kaepernick to speak against police brutality, understanding that his platform as an NFL player offers a favorable space for presenting the facts of the case, sparking discussions and debates over the existing group values and potentially creating and promoting actions steps that mitigate against the injustices. Therefore, professional athletes are highly influential with fans and the public, presenting them with a powerful visible validation platform for activism, making them among the most powerful and ideal agents of social change, transcending matters outside their fields of play. Reasons Against Social Justice Activism Following Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protest, he lost his job and ability to provide for himself and his family. Therefore, before deciding whether to become an athlete activist and address most of society’s problems, it is imperative to examine the self, family, and the organization of work (Mac et al. 2). Athletes must understand or perhaps anticipate the repercussions of their actions with a fair amount of accuracy before pledging to speak against an injustice publicly. For instance, in Colin Kaepernick’s case, was it worth speaking against police brutality and losing millions of dollars in earnings, bonuses, and commercials? I think that the self and family should come first, regardless. Although his actions sparked a powerful protest the following season 2017-2018, he encountered unthinkable financial losses. In fact, one may argue that he should have stood up for the national anthem, gotten paid, and used his

money to fund activists and other non-profit organizations that defend countless marginalized Americans, because that way, he would accomplish more. Similarly, the NBA megastar LeBron James had racial slurs sprayed over his residential home following his police protests for the death of Eric Garner and others. Yet, for LeBron James, he did not lose his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, markedly because he was the face of the franchise, the league, and NBA owners were more logical than NFL. LeBron’s activism had put himself and his family in harm’s way, showing that despite his money, fame, and authority, he still became a victim of the abuse. Thus, it is logical for anyone who does not have LeBron’s fame, authority, and money to refrain from athlete activism. I would not demonize athletes who do not take a stance against social and political injustices if such stances put their livelihoods at risk. Question 7 Athlete activists have the best platform to raise awareness and speak against various social and political injustices. However, typically, activism comes with a huge penalty, as was with Colin Kaepernick’s case—the loss of his contract. Although his actions raised the required awareness over the issue and garnered additional support from other athletes in the U.S. and even globally, he lost the ability to provide for his family. Moreover, LeBron James’ athletic activism was met with stern racial abuse, which may have been even greater, putting his family at risk. Thus, for those athletes who did not speak up, I understand; they did not want to give up their careers and salaries, given that most of them are depended upon by hundreds of family and friends. However, those in positions of power should consider using their influence to create positive change.

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Works Cited Armstrong, Cole G., and Ted Butryn. "Educated activism: A focus group study of high school athletes' perceptions of athlete activism." Athlete Activism . Routledge, 2021. 20-31. Galily, Yair. "Shut up and dribble!”? Athletes activism in the age of Twittersphere: The case of LeBron James." Technology in Society 58 (2019): 1-9. Mac Intosh, Andrew, Eric M. Martin, and Yannick Kluch. "To act or not to act? Student- athlete perceptions of social justice activism." Psychology of Sport and Exercise 51 (2020): 1-8. Sanderson, Jimmy, Evan Frederick, and Mike Stocz. "When athlete activism clashes with group values: Social identity threat management via social media." Mass Communication and Society 19.3 (2016): 301-322.

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