NFL

Andscape at the Super Bowl: Where has athlete ACTIVISM gone?

Martenzie Johnson and William C. Rhoden discuss athletes and activism at San Jose State University

Athlete activism has shaped Black history in sports, but what does it look like now? In this Andscape Roundtable, William C. Rhoden and Martenzie Johnson stand at San Jose State University near the Victory Salute statues of John Carlos and Tommie Smith to examine the evolution of activism in athletics. They discuss the raised fist salute of Carlos and Smith at the 1968 Olympic Games, generational differences in defining community and responsibility, and how money, risk, and power limit modern athlete activism.

Martenzie Johnson is a senior writer for Andscape. His favorite cinematic moment is when Django said, "Y'all want to see somethin?"

William C. Rhoden is a columnist for Andscape and the author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs the Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists from HBCUs.