3 min
Ten years ago, Colin Kaepernick transformed a moment before an NFL game into one of the most consequential acts of athlete protest in modern American sports. What began in 2016 as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality quickly moved far beyond football. Kaepernick became a national flashpoint in debates about race, patriotism, free expression and the role professional athletes should play in challenging social and political institutions. A decade later, the impact of that decision, and the questions it raised, remain. The Associated Press recently revisited Kaepernick’s protest and its legacy, including the fact that many people who played or coached alongside him in 2016 remain reluctant to discuss what happened and its aftermath. Kaepernick never played another NFL game after that season, despite having previously led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl. For Frederick Gooding Jr., Ph.D., Professor of African American Studies and the Dr. Ronald E. Moore Professor in Humanities at Texas Christian University, that continuing reluctance is itself significant. View his profile “I think that this reluctance to even talk about it now is indicative of to what degree did the NFL substantively address it.” — Frederick Gooding Jr., speaking to The Associated Press Gooding told the AP that people should now be more willing to discuss the episode openly, and said Kaepernick “forced people to get uncomfortable.” He also pointed to the power dynamics involved when the NFL later acknowledged that it should have listened more closely to players speaking out about social inequality — after Kaepernick's playing career had effectively ended. Why This Story Still Matters The Kaepernick story provides an opportunity to look beyond whether taking a knee was right or wrong and examine what happened afterward. How much has professional sports actually changed in the decade since Kaepernick's protest? What happens when athletes use their platforms to challenge powerful institutions? Why can some forms of athlete activism become accepted over time while others remain deeply polarizing? And what does the continuing discomfort around Kaepernick tell us about the intersection of race, sports, media and American culture? Those questions extend well beyond one quarterback or one football league. For journalists covering the 10th anniversary of Kaepernick's protest, or future stories involving athletes, race, activism and the role of sports organizations in social debates, Gooding can provide perspective on questions including: How Kaepernick changed the relationship between professional athletes, activism and their employers. Why the reaction to athlete protest often reveals broader attitudes about race and power. How media coverage influences public perceptions of athletes who engage in activism. Whether sports organizations have substantively changed since the protests of 2016 and 2020. How Kaepernick fits within the longer history of Black athletes using sports as a platform for social change. Why the intersection of race, sports and popular culture continues to produce some of America's most contentious public debates. Frederick Gooding Jr. is available to speak with media about Colin Kaepernick's legacy, race and sports, athlete activism, representation, popular culture and the intersection of race and mainstream media. Simply click on his profile now to arrange an interview today.
