As many prepare to watch the Superbowl tonight, it has brought up new reflections on Colin Kaepernick’s bold efforts to use his platform as an athlete to protest police brutality and the oppression of people of color. Within the last few days, both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post have published articles discussing the ways in which Kaepernick has been “disappeared” by the NFL and his activism and message sanitized and commodified.

 

At the height of debate, many of the hateful responses to Kaepernick’s protest circled around the same basic idea–that athletes should just be grateful for the opportunity to play and should keep their opinions to themselves. But in reality, athletes have often been at the forefront of social justice movements, and the sacrifices they have made, using their spotlight to fight for what they believe in, have often helped lead to major breakthroughs.

 

Here I want to highlight a few books that tell the stories of athletes who stood up against injustice, even if it meant risking all they had worked for.

 

 

Follow Chester: A College Football Team Fights Racism and Makes History by Gloria Repress-Churchwell, illustrated by Laura Freeman

This bio tells the story of Chester Pierce, who was the first African-American football player to play in a game against an all-white university in the segregated south in 1947. He and his team refused to back down, even when faced with threats and intimidation.

 

Enough: 20 Protesters who Changed America by Emily Easton, illustrated by Ziyue Chen

This book features protestors from all walks of life, but a highlight is the two-page spread which features Tommie Smith’s and John Carlos’ protest at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The brave moment when each raised a black-gloved fist in support of human rights led to significant losses for them both, much like Colin Kaepernick. Forced to return their medals and banned from the Olympics for life,  these two men exemplified what it means to put your convictions about what is right above your own personal gain.

 

Colin Kaepernick by Stephanie Watson

This is part of the “Influential People” biography series  from “Big Idea Books.” It features diverse current celebrities, including author Jason Reynolds, young activist Marley Dias, comedian and director Jordan Peele and prolific playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. These bios are pretty straight-forward and simple, but they cover current figures, many of whom you cannot find a single other biography of. The Kaepernick bio offers a concise and direct chapter on his protest efforts and on the league’s and public’s response and could definitely lead to big conversations with young readers.

 

A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée

This book does not exactly fit the theme, in that its heroine does no protest through her role as an athlete, but it certainly explores the ways in which protest can be scary in the face of the enormous pressure to be obedient. This chapter book shows the journey of twelve-year-old Shayla, who gets queasy and itchy-handed any time she thinks she might “get in trouble” with anyone, from authority figures to friends to family. She becomes awakened to the Black Lives Matter movement and discovers that sometimes it is actually better to “get in trouble” if it means standing up for what’s right.