More Than an Athlete

Abstract

Abstract Background: Social movements have been a prominent part of American history for decades. One modern example of how intertwined social movements are with our daily lives is sports, more specifically professional sports. Professional athletes have found their voices and used their platforms to stand up for what they believe in. Objective: The goal of this study is to research and analyze how sports and social movements have been connected over time. Design and Method: The research for this study is based on articles, other research papers, and books written on the subject matter. The research questions are as follows: What criticisms do Professional athletes face after speaking on social injustice? How are the moral stances of the brands the Professional athletes are associated with influenced by the athletes? Can social media both strengthen and weaken a movement that started offline? Results: The results of this study show that sports and social movements have been interconnected for decades and that athletes will continue to use their growing platforms to stand up for what they believe in. Many fans and media members have access to criticize these professional athletes freely on social media. Many criticisms contain bias and or hurtful language. Conclusions: Media members and fans should be aware of the implications their negative comments may have and the possible negative effects they could impose on the mental health of the athletes. Athletes are people too and should be treated as such. Keywords and Phrases: Social media, Pre-Social media, social movements, social justice.