During the Civil Rights Movement, Black fans turned their love of sports into a powerful tool of nonviolent protest. They boycotted pro teams with segregated seating and pressed city leaders to integrate housing, schools and public services. They used newspapers to share boycott information and pickets that were placed on public property such as stadiums and bus stops. Black sportswriters like Jim Hall, Marcel Hopson and Marion Jackson encouraged fandom to be a force for change.
Those tactics still work today. The key to any protest is how it’s framed, and it’s important for journalists to report on the full range of fan activism tactics, from rallies to walkouts and boycotts. In addition, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech and assembly, so fans often express their concerns with chants and signs.
For example, a group of Chelsea fans is planning to protest the club’s owner, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, ahead of the team’s match with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge next week. They plan to wear black to symbolize that the club is “slowly dying,” due to debts and mismanagement.
Gloria Jimenez and Bruce Martin, leaders of the Angel City Brigade that sits during Los Angeles Galaxy home games at Dignity Health Sports Park, have used their stance to highlight the immigration raids in Southern California’s Latino communities. They also have a message for the team’s ownership: “Let’s be a team of color.” Their protest, which will continue until the players and management support their cause, is a prime example of how fans can use their fandom to promote social justice issues.
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