Race, Protest, and the Power of the Body in Sport

Race, Protest, and the Power of the Body in Sport explores how and why athletes use public performance to bring audience’s attention to structural racism.

The book it focuses on the case of Colin Kaepernick and his decision to take the knee, which eventually became a global gesture for bringing attention to structural racism. In doing so, the book provides the reader with a clear understanding of how audiences respond to athlete activists in the US and in global contexts who seek to bring their attention to structural issues. Through the central case study of taking the knee, the book analyses how Kaepernick was able to bring attention to structural racism, and why taking the knee eventually became a global gesture for bringing attention to police brutality. The book also situates taking the knee in a history of athlete activism to recognise patterns in public response to athlete activism and suggests why different performative features can reduce the hostility athlete activists face.

This book is intended for students and scholars interested in athlete activism, sports, and how sports fans respond to activism.