Taking a Knee: Sports, Politics & Activism

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In 2016, quarterback Colin Kaepernick started protesting police brutality and racial inequity in the United States by taking a knee during the national anthem before his team’s preseason game. He was applauded by many while others criticized his protest as „unpatriotic“ and a „distraction from the sport.” Kaepernick is not the first pro athlete to make a political statement – he joined the ranks of others before him, from Muhammad Ali to LeBron James, who used their platform for raising awareness. Yet his silent protest inspired a wave of kneeling that became much bigger than Kaepernick himself: at high school games and in professional leagues, in rural communities and urban areas, across disciplines and beyond borders, athletes followed suit. It also sparked a wider discussion about the intersection of sports, activism, and politics that can be applied to other sports and a variety of causes.

Raising awareness at sports events is not solely an American phenomenon: During the Euro Soccer Cup last year, for example, Manuel Neuer’s rainbow armband sparked a public debate whether it was a sign of solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community during pride month or a political statement.

From kneeling to rainbow stadiums – how politicized is sports? Do athletes carry a political responsibility? Can athletes be activists? Political sportswriter Dave Zirin and journalist Sumi Somaskanda will take a look at these questions from an American and German perspectives.

With: Dave Zirin, The Nation

Dave Zirin is an American sports writer, currently working as the Sports Editor of The Nation Magazine. He is the author of 11 books on the politics of sports. He recently published his book „The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World.“

Moderated by: Sumi Somaskanda, DW News (Deutsche Welle)

Sumi Somaskanda is a freelance reporter, writer, and editor, who has studied journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. As a Berlin resident of over 10 years, she frequently moderates panels and conferences both in Germany and the U.S. and gives lectures to American university students at the CIEE Global Institute in Berlin. She has also worked for various international publications, such as The Atlantic and The Washington Post.