The stories in this issue explore fan protest, from a thwack of a ball on a goalpost to a banner demanding that the manager of their favorite team be replaced. The common thread that runs through these stories is a sense of injustice or inequality in the world, and fans’ determination to fight back.
While many fans have resisted efforts to bring politics into their fandom, many have used their passion for football as an avenue to engage in activism. They do this by protesting racial inequalities, working to support charity, and even organizing and leading marches for social change.
During the Civil Rights Movement, sports fans used their devotion to teams as a way to advance nonviolent protests of segregated seating and racial discrimination in other aspects of society. They maintained their protests through Black press, pickets, and pamphlets. Activists also used the power of their numbers by boycotting games, and they kept fans abreast of boycotts through Black newspapers and radio shows.
We also explored how different ways of telling a story about a protest influenced people’s perceptions of the news story. For example, stories that humanized the teenager whose death spurred a protest led people to have more positive attitudes toward the teenager and the protest. However, these effects differed by political leanings. For example, Democrats and those with Democratic-leaning views viewed stories that humanized the teenager as more credible. Those with Republican-leaning views, on the other hand, viewed these stories as less credible.