Athlete Activism Reflection

Whether athletes like it or not, culture and politics are inextricably linked. Though television, music and film stars will always be included in cultural conversations, the importance of the platform on which athletes stand in contemporary culture cannot be understated.

With this in mind, one cannot help but ask if athletes should be expected to involve themselves with controversial issues, as they no doubt have the power to make positive changes in public opinion.

Colin Kaepernick, though well-recognized as an NFL above-average quarterback, did not have the national fame that he currently has before launching his campaign against police brutality. Kaepernick no doubt was known by football fans, but he rapidly gained a different level of notoriety once he ventured into commenting on issues in the world-at-large.

Despite the seemingly endless number of detractors Kaepernick has, he has managed to maintain relevance, without even playing NFL snaps. If that does not prove that the voices of athletes carry a unique amount of cultural weight, then I do not know what could.

The fact that President Trump felt so threatened by Kaepernick, his kneeling peers and Lebron James that he attacked them on Twitter suggests that athletes are a force to be reckoned with when they step outside the boundaries of the sports world.

So then, should we as a culture expect athletes to engage with the world outside of sports? What topics should exist outside the purview of the modern athlete?

The old adage that great power comes with great responsibility holds true in the case of athletes, as they should, in my opinion, speak out on issues that matter to them. Not every athlete is politically inclined, and not every athlete wants to get involved with matters that could jeopardize his or her career, but if enough athletes stand up and use their platform, their respective employers will be incapable of quelling their collective voice.

The average person does not have nearly the power to shift cultural opinions in the way that athletes do. Gary Smith’s article focuses on the media storm surrounding Wonman Joseph Williams, a UVA football player who hardly ever sets foot on the field. If someone like Williams can draw attention to an issue, imagine what the Steph Curry’s, Tom Brady’s and Serena Williams’s of the world can do when they throw the force of their stardom behind a cause.

Of course, athletes maintain the right to keep themselves out of the spotlight in this regard for financial or professional reasons, but surely there are silent athletes with an opinion to share who feel too threatened by potential consequences to share their opinions.

Perhaps that is the greatest issue of all. Our society enjoys to keep our worlds separated, and sports is the apotheosis of escapism. People do not react well when the faults in their society appear before their eyes, and thus, people like Kaepernick and his peers are ostracized for being more than a name and number.