When fans are passionate about something, they can take it personally and act on it. They have a long history of using their passions to fight for change—from boycotting teams and their owners to singing anti-Daniel Levy chants before Manchester United matches. This collection explores fan protest stories to show that fan activism isn’t just a fad.
For some fans, a favorite show’s cancellation can feel like a loss of their community and identity. They may protest the cancellation by writing letters, putting up billboards, or even going on hunger strikes. In other cases, fans may be able to resurrect their favorite show or character. For instance, when author Arthur Conan Doyle killed off his popular Sherlock Holmes character, fans rioted and demanded that he be resurrected.
In a time when racism and discrimination are still very real in the world of sport, many Black fans turned their love for sports into a tool of nonviolent resistance during the Civil Rights Movement by using their passions to protest segregated stadium seating. They kept the boycott going by promoting it through the Black press and by spreading the word in public spaces such as their homes and schools, where they often encouraged their friends and neighbors to join them.
One key to this type of activism, which we call Activism of Care, is that it draws on values and skills common to the participants. For example, a person’s devotion to a beloved fandom figure may help them form protective and caring relationships that are effective at destigmatizing disability.