Ballers and Backlash : Twelve Years of Activism, Populism, and Politics in American Sports

In the aftermath of Travyon Martin's killing in Florida in 2012, athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams launched an era of athletic activism never before seen in American history. This "take-a-knee" movement—most famously and controversially enacted by Colin Kaepernick—shook the American sporting establishment and challenged long-held beliefs about sport and politics in American culture. The movement also provoked substantial opposition from "Make American Great Again" populists, much of which has since coalesced into a full-fledged counter-movement of its own. Ballers and Backlash traces the origins, evolution, and impacts of these developments, shedding light on the larger lessons for the politics of sport and polarization in the contemporary United States along the way. While the scope is grand and the material controversial, the book is written in an engaging, balanced style designed to appeal to readers who follow sports and those who don't, across a range of social backgrounds and political orientations.