The Quandary Over Kaepernick: Sports Historian Talks Athlete-Activism

Newswise — Colin Kaepernick wants to be an athlete and an activist. Can he be both? With his outspokenness in the name of social justice, Kaepernick has become a de facto face of athlete-activism in recent years. But is he paying a price for it? Months into free agency, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has yet to be picked up by another NFL team and, in the midst of increasing racial tensions that have motivated Kaepernick’s kneeling national anthem protests, his supporters are calling foul.  

Is Colin Kaepernick being shunned by NFL teams for his activism? Does activism have a place in the sports world? How has the intersection of sport and social justice helped shape or transform society?  

Victoria Jackson, PhD. is a sports historian and lecturer in the School of Historical Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. Her classes explore social change and history through the lens of sport. Dr. Jackson is available to speak on these and other subjects related to the cultural and political significance of athletes and sport over the decades.