By Ryan Smith
In today’s world, we are accustomed to seeing and hearing about protests constantly. It seems that everyone has an opinion on every social issue, and in a culture that holds athletes in such high respect, athletes are urged to voice their positions. Although LeBron James “is widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, his brand has expanded far outside of that” (Coombs, 430). He has signed a lifetime deal with Nike worth over $1 billion, starred in Hollywood films such as Trainwreck (2015), and he even produces television through his own production company (Coombs, 430). With his hand in almost every facet of popular culture, LeBron could be considered the most prominent celebrity on the planet today. LeBron’s enormous presence both on and off the basketball court positions him incredibly well to speak out on social issues that he cares about.
LeBron was once quoted saying, “For me, I’ve never shied away from something that I feel for—for people, for families that I feel for. And that’s just who I am.” LeBron’s approach to activism is centered around creating community and focusing on healing after tragic events, rather than trying to start protests that may turn violent. In his article examining LeBron’s role as an athlete activist, Danielle Coombs, and David Cassilo comment that, “James has positioned himself to be a positive force that can raise awareness, without further agitating already angry crowds” (Coombs, 435). This is a powerful tactic that Lebron and other players use to call attention to social issues without escalating protests to become violent. Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose initiated player activism in the NBA following the Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner cases, in which unarmed black men were killed. These silent protests were followed up when “in December 2014, James, along with Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving and four players on the opposing team … took to the court wearing the same ‘I Can’t Breathe’ t-shirts Rose wore a few days before” (Coombs, 427).
Although LeBron was not the first NBA star to take action, his decision to join the conversation has changed the dynamic entirely. He is the most prominent figure in all of sports today and as I mentioned before, his fame reaches far beyond the bounds of athletics. As an occasional film star and producer, even those who do not follow the NBA or sports at all recognize his face and his name. In turn, his involvement in these movements heightens awareness among social issues that he speaks out about.
For many of my friends and myself, our awareness about the Black Lives Matters movement and social inequality that still exists today has come from LeBron’s willingness to speak out on such issues. Coombs points out that, “James’s presence is particularly significant in terms of social issues. In a 2014 Forbes article naming James as the world’s most powerful athlete” (Coombs, 427). The Black Lives Matters movement has created a resurgence of athlete activism that has not been seen since the 1960s when figures like Muhammad Ali would speak out. The importance of athletes like LeBron speaking out is clear when we consider how much young kids idolize figures like him. Young athletes today not only imagine themselves hitting the game-winning shot like their hero but they hopefully also imagine themselves making a difference in the world as a social leader, like LeBron James.
References
Coombs, D. S., & Cassilo, D. (2017). Athletes and/or activists: LeBron James and black lives matter. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 41(5), 425–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723517719665b
Keywords: LeBron James, Celebrity Activism, Athlete Activism, #blacklivesmatter
Word Count: 568
Another fine post, Ryan.
ReplyDeleteMy one concern is to avoid relying too heavily on quotes from your source(s). There's no precise formula for this practice, mind you, and I'm not suggesting that you avoid it altogether. Rather, use quotes judiciously. I want to hear from you.
Otherwise, this is a terrific contribution to our ongoing conversations, online and off, regarding (social) media activism and social justice struggles.
That said, some mention of the "blowback" athletes, primarily, although not exclusively athletes of color, get because of their activism would make this an even more compelling post. All the same, this is well written and makes a good case for (re)thinking the role athletes play in the public sphere.
29 pts.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well written discussion and It was a great read. There is little to no errors in this post, but I would agree with professor in a sense that It would be nice to hear more from you rather than the quotes. With that said, your quotes were phenomenal, but from the blog standpoint there might just be a little too much. You really covered some very informational stuff and brought up great topics and the discussion of athletes in activism as well as social media activism. Aside from the writing, I do not see anything wrong with the grammar, citations, or even mechanics of this blog. You did a great job putting this together, and overall it was a really enjoyable read. Nice Job.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was extremely interesting. As a huge fan of basketball, I often watch the NBA. In the more recent years I have come to realize that I didn't really like the way Lebron acted when he plays basketball. Now, seeing what kind if man he is and the influence he carries, I think of him much differently. This isn't a realization I just made today, but you shining light on the platform athletes like Lebron can create is awesome. Good work.