Are Political Protests in Sport Right? | Sportsmen Who've Stood Up (Or Kneeled Down) For What They Believe In
San Francisco 49ers' strong, durable and reliable quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, caused quite a stir across the pond in the U.S.A. recently when he refused to stand during a playing of the American national anthem before an NFL clash. He told the NFL (2016) that this was a decision that he took because he couldn't stand, celebrate and sing for the flag of a nation that "oppresses black people and people of colour".
He then went on to say that “this is not something that I am going to run by anybody” and “I am not looking for am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed.” (Yeboah, 2016).
The Wisconsin-born athlete is not the first to take a stand, or in this case take a knee, in order to protest against racism that he feels is rife in the nation in which he was born and now resides in. I'm sure he won't be the last either.
Others have copied Kaepernick since his first protest in 2016 which sparked a vehement response from President Donald Trump. He made his position clear by stating that it was “total disrespect” for the country in a typical Twitter outburst (BBC, 2017).
Many agreed with him, many disagreed. But is he right? Is it right to mix political protests with sport? And what sporting protests of the past fuelled this firm act of resistance from Kaepernick, in which he showed the world what he believes in and what he thinks is right?
The obvious comparison is with one of the most famous, well-known and important images that has ever been captured in sport.
In the 1968 Olympic games, two African-American sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith won bronze and gold in the 200m race. As stepped onto the podium to be presented with their hard-earned medals, they slid on a black glove and lifted a single, clenched fist in the air as a symbol of the Black Power movement. Neither were wearing shoes as an act of protest against poverty (BBC On This Day, no date). This followed, and was probably influenced by, the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther-King.
Carlos, with help from Zirin, (2011) wrote in his book: “I looked at my feet in my high socks and thought about all the black poverty I’d seen from Harlem to East Texas.”
The two athletes were booed throughout the national anthem and rather unsurprisingly, a huge media storm in America followed this act of resistance, much like the recent Kaepernick situation. Many deemed it disrespectful to use the American national anthem as a tool in which to protest.
However, the main reason why this was done was surely to push an important message into the public domain, integrate it into America’s common, everyday discourse and for the athletes to make their voices heard.
It is understandable why people would want these topics to be kept separate from sport, but the impact Carlos and Smith left on society is substantial. It was a sacrifice for them; they lost their careers, reputations and were subject to mass derision. However, they provided a catalyst for civil rights in America.
A moment that defined how far the American nation, and the world, has come was Beyonce’s performance at halftime of the 2016 Super Bowl, which paid homage to Smith, Carlos and the Black Panthers (Elgot, 2016). What once would have been jeered, was now cheered and celebrated.
Of course, few will want politics pervading through sporting events. I’m sure most like to go to sport to escape from those subjects.
However, every now and then sport can be about more than kicking a ball in the goal or storming over the finishing line in glory. It can provide a catalyst for cultural change and make a genuine difference as Carlos and Smith proved in 68’. Why can’t Kaepernick now do it again in the modern day?
While the world appears to be more inclusive and compassionate to people of differing ethnic backgrounds these days, more work still needs to be done. Trump, a man accused of racist remarks in the past, being elected as US President proves that (O'Connor & Marans, 2018).
Maybe sportsmen, like Kaepernick, can replicate the impact of Carlos and Smith, prove that sport and politics can be mixed and also make a difference.
Reference list:
BBC (2017) Donald Trump accuses NFL of 'total disrespect' over anthem decision. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/41659596 (Accessed: 28 April 2018)
BBC On This Day (no date) 1968: Black athletes make silent protest. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/17/newsid_3535000/3535348.stm (Accessed: 27 April 2018)
Carlos, J., Zirin, D (1994) The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World. Chicago: Haymarket Books.
Elgot, J (2016) Beyoncé unleashes Black Panthers homage at Super Bowl 50. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/08/beyonce-black-panthers-homage-black-lives-matter-super-bowl-50 (Accessed: 28 April 2018)
NFL (2016) Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem. Available at: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem (Accessed: 27 April 2018)
O’Connor, L,. Marans, D (2018) Here Are 13 Examples Of Donald Trump Being Racist. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-racist-examples_us_56d47177e4b03260bf777e83 (Accessed: 29 April 2018)
Yeboah, K (2016) A timeline of events since Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest. Available at: http://theundefeated.com/features/a-timeline-of-events-since-colin-kaepernicks-national-anthem-protest/ (Accessed: 28 April 2018)
He then went on to say that “this is not something that I am going to run by anybody” and “I am not looking for am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed.” (Yeboah, 2016).
The Wisconsin-born athlete is not the first to take a stand, or in this case take a knee, in order to protest against racism that he feels is rife in the nation in which he was born and now resides in. I'm sure he won't be the last either.
Others have copied Kaepernick since his first protest in 2016 which sparked a vehement response from President Donald Trump. He made his position clear by stating that it was “total disrespect” for the country in a typical Twitter outburst (BBC, 2017).
Many agreed with him, many disagreed. But is he right? Is it right to mix political protests with sport? And what sporting protests of the past fuelled this firm act of resistance from Kaepernick, in which he showed the world what he believes in and what he thinks is right?
The obvious comparison is with one of the most famous, well-known and important images that has ever been captured in sport. In the 1968 Olympic games, two African-American sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith won bronze and gold in the 200m race. As stepped onto the podium to be presented with their hard-earned medals, they slid on a black glove and lifted a single, clenched fist in the air as a symbol of the Black Power movement. Neither were wearing shoes as an act of protest against poverty (BBC On This Day, no date). This followed, and was probably influenced by, the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther-King.
Carlos, with help from Zirin, (2011) wrote in his book: “I looked at my feet in my high socks and thought about all the black poverty I’d seen from Harlem to East Texas.”
The two athletes were booed throughout the national anthem and rather unsurprisingly, a huge media storm in America followed this act of resistance, much like the recent Kaepernick situation. Many deemed it disrespectful to use the American national anthem as a tool in which to protest.
However, the main reason why this was done was surely to push an important message into the public domain, integrate it into America’s common, everyday discourse and for the athletes to make their voices heard.
It is understandable why people would want these topics to be kept separate from sport, but the impact Carlos and Smith left on society is substantial. It was a sacrifice for them; they lost their careers, reputations and were subject to mass derision. However, they provided a catalyst for civil rights in America.
A moment that defined how far the American nation, and the world, has come was Beyonce’s performance at halftime of the 2016 Super Bowl, which paid homage to Smith, Carlos and the Black Panthers (Elgot, 2016). What once would have been jeered, was now cheered and celebrated.
Of course, few will want politics pervading through sporting events. I’m sure most like to go to sport to escape from those subjects.
However, every now and then sport can be about more than kicking a ball in the goal or storming over the finishing line in glory. It can provide a catalyst for cultural change and make a genuine difference as Carlos and Smith proved in 68’. Why can’t Kaepernick now do it again in the modern day?
While the world appears to be more inclusive and compassionate to people of differing ethnic backgrounds these days, more work still needs to be done. Trump, a man accused of racist remarks in the past, being elected as US President proves that (O'Connor & Marans, 2018).
Maybe sportsmen, like Kaepernick, can replicate the impact of Carlos and Smith, prove that sport and politics can be mixed and also make a difference.
Reference list:
BBC (2017) Donald Trump accuses NFL of 'total disrespect' over anthem decision. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/41659596 (Accessed: 28 April 2018)
BBC On This Day (no date) 1968: Black athletes make silent protest. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/17/newsid_3535000/3535348.stm (Accessed: 27 April 2018)
Carlos, J., Zirin, D (1994) The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World. Chicago: Haymarket Books.
Elgot, J (2016) Beyoncé unleashes Black Panthers homage at Super Bowl 50. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/08/beyonce-black-panthers-homage-black-lives-matter-super-bowl-50 (Accessed: 28 April 2018)
NFL (2016) Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem. Available at: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem (Accessed: 27 April 2018)
O’Connor, L,. Marans, D (2018) Here Are 13 Examples Of Donald Trump Being Racist. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-racist-examples_us_56d47177e4b03260bf777e83 (Accessed: 29 April 2018)
Yeboah, K (2016) A timeline of events since Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest. Available at: http://theundefeated.com/features/a-timeline-of-events-since-colin-kaepernicks-national-anthem-protest/ (Accessed: 28 April 2018)
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