User:Chrisa24/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term, Athlete Activism, refers to professional and amateur athletes of any sport, who use their position as a platform for activism. These athletes use their popularity and publicity role as an "opportunity to be a positive influence on society and inspire change".[1] Athlete Activism is also extremely controversial from a sports fan perspective because of the mixing of politics in the business of sport. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and athlete activist himself, writes "Fans want to indulge in the escapism of the sport without the heavy baggage of real life interfering".[2] For others, Athlete Activism is a positive use of an athlete's status, and that society should welcome athletes who step out of their roles as entertainers to express their opinions on societal issues.[2] Throughout history, there have been countless examples of athletes who have spoken against or for certain societal issues, most of which had to do with controversies surrounding race, religion, and gender. Famous examples of athlete activism include stars such as Jackie Robinson, Muhammed Ali, Roberto Clemente[3], and more recently, Colin Kaepernick along with other NFL protests. Mixing sports and politics is considered not to be ideal, especially from a fan perspective, and therefore many athletes who speak out on certain issues are also scrutinized publicly.
The rise of digital media (including social media) has sparked a new way for athletes to engage in activism with the masses, and ignite change in society.