Eliminating Barriers Through Sport w/Dr. Shaun Anderson

When thinking about the history of the struggle for racial equality in America, prominent individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass often come to mind. However, sports have also been a vehicle to driving American society forward, with key moments including Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Muhammad Ali refusing to go to war in Vietnam, and Tommie Smith flashing the Black Power fist at the 1968 Olympics. These acts were met with vitriol at the time, but these athletes made their mark on and off the field by pushing society forward. When Colin Kaepernick began kneeling instead of standing for the national anthem to open a dialogue about Black people and policing in America in 2016, it also angered a significant portion of the NFL fanbase and franchise owners. Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since then, despite being 29 at the time, never officially retiring, and having made a Super Bowl appearance as a starting quarterback. Before Kaepernick, former NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf similarly sat for the national anthem as a silent protest for his religious beliefs. He was also met with derision and left the league two years later at age 28.

On today’s WorkInSports Podcast, we examine the societal impact of Black athletes throughout American history to contextualize today’s climate of athlete activism. VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp speaks with Dr. Shaun Anderson, Associate Professor of Organizational Communication at Loyola Marymount and author of The Black Athlete Revolt. The two discuss:

• Sports’ role as a catalyst for bringing societal issues to light • The history of athletes, particularly Black athletes, using their voice to drive societal change and why that movement stopped in the 80s and early 90s • The price Black athletes like Abdul-Rauf and Kaepernick pay for speaking out • The effectiveness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in what specifically?

Enjoy the full episode for an enlightening perspective on the impact of Black athletes on society. Subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice, and check out our YouTube channel for additional content!