Abstract
The killing of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked a national protest against racism in America, transcending international borders, and social issues. Sports organizations rely on strict policies, based on ongoing relations with various stakeholders including owners, fans, media, sponsors, and others. Ample sports leagues and teams were directly and in-directly affected by the protests and needed to revise or change their policies. Examples include organizations that have not accepted Colin Kaepernick’s and Megan Rapinoe’s kneeling for social change, are now revising their policies. Furthermore, after decades of refusal to demands by Native Americans, the NFL team from Washington announced the offensive name of the franchise will be changed, after pressure from private sponsors. The purpose of this study is to consider the impact of the social protest on American sports organizations, how policies have recently changed, and what challenges American and international sports organizations might face in the future.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Value of Culture and the Demand of Change
KEYWORDS
Protest; Social Justice; Sports; Black Lives Matter; Activism
