Taking a Knee for Change. Colin Kaepernick between Activism and (Anti-)Patriotism

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Colin Kaepernick and the Protest

2.1. Biography of Colin Kaepernick

2.2. Initial Protest and Development

3. Platform, Former Protests and Struggles of Athletes of Color

3.1. The Platform of an Athlete

3.2. Former Protests by Athletes of Color

3.3. Sociocultural Struggles of Athletes of Color

4. Reactions to Kaepernick’s protest

4.1. Positive Reactions

4.2. Negative Reactions

5. Selected Studies on the Topic

5.1. Newspaper Framing (Boykoff/Carrington 2019)

5.2. Twitter Analysis (Yoo et al. 2018)

5.3. Newspaper Survey (Murty et al. 2018 and The Huffington Post)

5.4. Study among College Students (Murty et al. 2018)

6. Continuation of Aforementioned Studies (2019-2022)

6.1. Twitter: #Kaepernick

6.2. Twitter: #ColinKaepernick

6.3. Twitter: #KapSoBlack, #VeteransForKaepernick and #InKaepWeTrust

6.4. Twitter: Results

6.5. Newspapers: The Los Angeles Times

6.6. Newspapers: The New York Times

6.7. Newspapers: USA Today

6.8. Newspapers: The Washington Post

6.9. Newspapers: Results

7. Conclusion

8. Bibliography

Objectives & Core Topics

This master's thesis examines the societal reactions to Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality and racial inequality, which began in 2016. By analyzing media coverage, Twitter discourse, and academic studies, the research explores whether American public sentiment regarding these protests has shifted over the past six years.

• Evolution of public and media perception regarding Colin Kaepernick between 2016 and 2022.
• Intersection of sports, politics, and patriotism in the American cultural landscape.
• Sociocultural history of athlete activism and the role of the athlete as an agent of social change.
• Comparative analysis of positive versus negative discourse in digital (Twitter) and traditional (Newspaper) media environments.
• Influence of political rhetoric on the framing of athlete-led social movements.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: Presents the research goal of analyzing reactions to Kaepernick’s protest from 2016 to 2022 and outlines the study's methodological approach.

2. Colin Kaepernick and the Protest: Details Kaepernick’s biographical background and the origins of his protest against racial inequality during the national anthem.

3. Platform, Former Protests and Struggles of Athletes of Color: Explores the historical context of athlete activists and the structural sociocultural challenges faced by athletes of color.

4. Reactions to Kaepernick’s protest: Categorizes public and media feedback into positive and negative responses, focusing on political and patriotic dimensions.

5. Selected Studies on the Topic: Reviews academic studies and surveys regarding newspaper framing, Twitter discourse, and student perceptions of the protests.

6. Continuation of Aforementioned Studies (2019-2022): Analyzes fresh research data from 2019-2022 to identify trends in current public sentiment through Twitter and newspapers.

7. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis and concludes that while media interest in the topic has declined, the polarization of the public toward Kaepernick’s protest remains evident.

8. Bibliography: Lists the academic, media, and primary source materials used for the research.

Keywords

Colin Kaepernick, Athlete Activism, Racial Inequality, Police Brutality, National Anthem, Social Justice, Media Framing, Twitter Analysis, Patriotism, Sports Sociology, Black Lives Matter, Public Opinion, Political Discourse, Systemic Racism, Civil Rights.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this thesis?

The work focuses on analyzing the diverse public and media reactions toward NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protest against racial inequality and police brutality, starting in 2016.

What are the core thematic areas?

The thesis covers the intersection of professional sports and social activism, the history of protests by athletes of color, the political polarization surrounding nationalistic symbols, and modern media discourse.

What is the central research question?

The central question is how Colin Kaepernick's protest has been perceived since 2016 and how the distribution of positive, negative, and neutral stances has evolved over the past six years.

Which methodology does the author employ?

The research uses a qualitative and quantitative analysis, examining newspaper reportage via framing theory and sentiment analysis of Twitter data, combined with a review of existing academic research.

What does the main body address?

It addresses the historical background of such protests, categorizes public reactions, reviews previous studies from 2016-2019, and presents new data for the period 2019-2022.

What keywords characterize the study?

Key terms include athlete activism, racial inequality, media framing, systemic racism, patriotism, and social justice.

How is the protest connected to the American flag?

The flag is a central point of conflict; many critics view the protest as disrespectful to the military and national pride, while supporters see it as a legitimate exercise of American democratic rights.

What did the analysis of the 2019-2022 period reveal?

It revealed that while news coverage of the topic has steeply declined, public opinion on Twitter remains polarized, and the conversation consistently links back to the controversial role of the American flag.