In recent years, there have been repeated reports of police violence or inequality towards African Americans in the media. The example of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick shows that the world of sports did not remain untouched. His protest beginning in August of 2016 has split the American society between those who see him as an activist for the American people and those who see him as an unpatriotic traitor to his own country.
The aim of this master’s thesis is to answer the question which arguments are made use of by both ends of the spectrum and which of the two perspectives is in the majority. The related research question is how Kaepernick’s protest has been perceived since its inception in 2016 and which changes have occurred up to the end of 2022.
In order to answer this question, selected statements from both sides will be drawn upon in order to show how a former CIA employee or former presidents of the United States perceived the protest. By taking studies from newspapers and the online community on Twitter into account, further insights into the issue will be provided to find out how users of these two media outlets view the protest. Finally, an analysis of newer interventions (2019-2022) will be presented.
The analysis has shown that the flag of the United States and the feeling of devotion and gratitude to one’s own country are the main reasons for choosing a side on the subject. At the beginning of the protest, Kaepernick was viewed positively by the print media, while the online community was largely in disfavor. This picture changed, however, as the media in 2022 mostly report neutrally about him, while positive reactions are gaining the upper hand on Twitter.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Colin Kaepernick and the Protest
2.1. Biography of Colin Kaepernick
2.2. Initial Protest and Development
3. Platform, Former Protests and Struggles of Athletes of Color
3.1. The Platform of an Athlete
3.2. Former Protests by Athletes of Color
3.3. Sociocultural Struggles of Athletes of Color
4. Reactions to Kaepernick’s protest
4.1. Positive Reactions
4.2. Negative Reactions
5. Selected Studies on the Topic
5.1. Newspaper Framing (Boykoff/Carrington 2019)
5.2. Twitter Analysis (Yoo et al. 2018)
5.3. Newspaper Survey (Murty et al. 2018 and The Huffington Post)
5.4. Study among College Students (Murty et al. 2018)
6. Continuation of Aforementioned Studies (2019-2022)
6.1. Twitter: #Kaepernick
6.2. Twitter: #ColinKaepernick
6.3. Twitter: #KapSoBlack, #VeteransForKaepernick and #InKaepWeTrust
6.4. Twitter: Results
6.5. Newspapers: The Los Angeles Times
6.6. Newspapers: The New York Times
6.7. Newspapers: USA Today
6.8. Newspapers: The Washington Post
6.9. Newspapers: Results
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
Objectives & Core Topics
This master's thesis examines the societal reactions to Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality and racial inequality, which began in 2016. By analyzing media coverage, Twitter discourse, and academic studies, the research explores whether American public sentiment regarding these protests has shifted over the past six years.
- Evolution of public and media perception regarding Colin Kaepernick between 2016 and 2022.
- Intersection of sports, politics, and patriotism in the American cultural landscape.
- Sociocultural history of athlete activism and the role of the athlete as an agent of social change.
- Comparative analysis of positive versus negative discourse in digital (Twitter) and traditional (Newspaper) media environments.
- Influence of political rhetoric on the framing of athlete-led social movements.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. Initial Protest and Development
On August 26th, 2016, Kaepernick sat on the bench (see Figure 1) while the national anthem was being played before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Due to the players usually standing while the anthem is being played, Kaepernick’s actions were immediately noticed by reporters and cameramen on the sidelines. In an interview following the game Kaepernick explained his actions as followed:
I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder (Haislop 2020).
This was the first time that Kaepernick had spoken out about the situation of people of color in the United States. According to Zirin (2021) his actions, however, were not without a reason. He argues that over the summer of 2016 two black men were killed by the police with the whole situation being caught on camera. Both were killed as if they were considered something less than a human being due to their skin color (cf. Zirin 2021: 1). Due to Kaepernick having already faced adversity from a young age at school receiving comments that he is different from his parents, he did not agree with the police’s approach of trying to handle the situation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research goal of analyzing reactions to Kaepernick’s protest from 2016 to 2022 and outlines the study's methodological approach.
2. Colin Kaepernick and the Protest: Details Kaepernick’s biographical background and the origins of his protest against racial inequality during the national anthem.
3. Platform, Former Protests and Struggles of Athletes of Color: Explores the historical context of athlete activists and the structural sociocultural challenges faced by athletes of color.
4. Reactions to Kaepernick’s protest: Categorizes public and media feedback into positive and negative responses, focusing on political and patriotic dimensions.
5. Selected Studies on the Topic: Reviews academic studies and surveys regarding newspaper framing, Twitter discourse, and student perceptions of the protests.
6. Continuation of Aforementioned Studies (2019-2022): Analyzes fresh research data from 2019-2022 to identify trends in current public sentiment through Twitter and newspapers.
7. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis and concludes that while media interest in the topic has declined, the polarization of the public toward Kaepernick’s protest remains evident.
8. Bibliography: Lists the academic, media, and primary source materials used for the research.
Keywords
Colin Kaepernick, Athlete Activism, Racial Inequality, Police Brutality, National Anthem, Social Justice, Media Framing, Twitter Analysis, Patriotism, Sports Sociology, Black Lives Matter, Public Opinion, Political Discourse, Systemic Racism, Civil Rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The work focuses on analyzing the diverse public and media reactions toward NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protest against racial inequality and police brutality, starting in 2016.
What are the core thematic areas?
The thesis covers the intersection of professional sports and social activism, the history of protests by athletes of color, the political polarization surrounding nationalistic symbols, and modern media discourse.
What is the central research question?
The central question is how Colin Kaepernick's protest has been perceived since 2016 and how the distribution of positive, negative, and neutral stances has evolved over the past six years.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The research uses a qualitative and quantitative analysis, examining newspaper reportage via framing theory and sentiment analysis of Twitter data, combined with a review of existing academic research.
What does the main body address?
It addresses the historical background of such protests, categorizes public reactions, reviews previous studies from 2016-2019, and presents new data for the period 2019-2022.
What keywords characterize the study?
Key terms include athlete activism, racial inequality, media framing, systemic racism, patriotism, and social justice.
How is the protest connected to the American flag?
The flag is a central point of conflict; many critics view the protest as disrespectful to the military and national pride, while supporters see it as a legitimate exercise of American democratic rights.
What did the analysis of the 2019-2022 period reveal?
It revealed that while news coverage of the topic has steeply declined, public opinion on Twitter remains polarized, and the conversation consistently links back to the controversial role of the American flag.
- Quote paper
- Lukas Wieltschnig (Author), 2022, Taking a Knee for Change. Colin Kaepernick between Activism and (Anti-)Patriotism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1380354
