Kaepernick’s Kneeling: “Dumb and Disrespectful” or Social Activism?
Image
Region
North America
Topic
Ethics & Social Justice
Marketing & Sales
Length
6 pages
Keywords
civil rights
social protest
sports marketing
racial conflict
Copyright Holder
Society for Case Research
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Undergraduate Students
The public may punish public figures whose demonstrations appear disrespectful. From the perspective of many observers, Colin Kaepernick had played well enough in the past to have been signed to an NFL team, at least as a backup quarterback. He became a free agent in March 2017 but no team had signed him as of January 28, 2019. He had protested civil rights abuses by refusing to stand for the national anthem during the 2016 season. How could Kaepernick reconcile playing football, if it meant curtailing his protest, with his desire to be a civil rights activist who supported organizations working to improve civil rights?
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate conflicting goals of social protest versus being a dutiful employee seeking to maximize entertainment value within the NFL.
- Evaluate what choice to make: Continue the legal challenge or try to settle and appear conciliatory to NFL owners.
- Evaluate the efficacy of Kaepernick’s action in terms of advancing the national discussion on race.