Whether helping to bring down a manager, leading a march or calling out their club owner, fans have a long history of using their passions for sport as powerful tools for nonviolent protest. These stories remind us that fan activism is not just a fad, but rather an important aspect of the way we construct leisure activist identities.
As Black folks fought for integration during the Civil Rights Movement, fans turned their love of sports into powerful nonviolent weapons, boycotting stadiums and teams that had segregated seating. They marched and plastered their communities with banners and shouted slogans to demand equality. Black newspapers kept fans abreast of the latest boycotts and encouraged them to use their passions for sport as a tool for social change.
When fans feel that their teams or favorite shows have been unfairly cancelled, they can take their anger out on the people responsible with letter-writing campaigns, billboards and even hunger strikes. For many fans, their participation in fandom helps to create a sense of community, so a cancellation can be a major blow to their identity.
To help humanize a story about a fan protest, reporters can add details about the person at the center of the protest. Writing about a person’s hobbies, family and other personal information can make their experience relatable to readers. Including these kinds of details can also help to defuse tensions and reduce the likelihood that the reader will view the protester as a villain or criminal.