Philadelphia Eagle Malcolm Jenkins speaking on a panel during the 2017 Black Lives Matter Week Of Action. Jenkins is of one of many NFL players who have taken a political stand both on and off the field in recent years.
This year’s Black Lives Matter Week of Action (February 5-10, 2018) takes place the week following Super Bowl 52, the culminating moment of an NFL season which featured powerful, high-profile displays of activism. While the initial purpose of the #TakeAKnee movement was muddied after Donald Trump’s incendiary remarks, it’s important to consider the initial goal of Colin Kaepernick’s action: to call attention to the persistent injustices faced by Black people in the United States. It is shocking to consider that what provoked so much discussion in September and October has been nearly eliminated from the popular conversation at the end of this NFL season.
The articles and lesson plans below contain a variety of approaches to covering activism in sports, from a deep dive into responses to NFL protests to a consideration of their place in the history of sports activism to an analysis of the rights of students and teachers to protest to an inquiry into why the energy around this activism dwindled towards the end of the season.
If you have additional resources that you feel should be added to this collection, please share them to [email protected].
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Lesson Plans |
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Resource (with link) |
Description of Resource |
Recommended Grade Level |
Guiding Principles Associated |
Athletes and Activism lesson plan from the Anti-Defamation League - lots of articles linked here |
High School |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value, Intergenerational, Loving Engagement |
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Lesson Plan, Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem Protest and Frederick Douglass’s ‘What to the Slave is the 4th of July? |
High |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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PBS NewsHour with clip, Twitter simulation activity: |
High School |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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Lesson plan from the Morningside Center |
High School |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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Articles, Visual Art, and Videos |
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Resource (with link) |
Description of Resource |
Recommended Grade Level |
Guiding Principles Associated |
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This article addresses |
Background/High School |
Unapologetically Black |
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Understanding rights and activism |
Middle/High |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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From Kaepernick Sitting to Trump’s Fiery Comments: NFL’s Anthem Protests Have Spurred Discussion |
A resource that focuses on responses to NFL protests from a variety of sources, with many responses from players across the league. |
Educators/High School |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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New Yorker Cover - With description of what inspired the artist - could be a great jumping off point for a current lesson to tie into these other pieces. |
Background, Visual Art, Political Cartoon |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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A video clip that connects the history of dissent in sports to current “Take a Knee” protests. |
High School, Video |
Unapologetically Black, Intergenerational |
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Classroom Kaepernicks: Can students and teachers take a knee? |
An article that considers rights that students and teachers have to protest. |
Background/High School |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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Today’s News, Tomorrow’s History: What Do the National Anthem Protests Mean? |
Collection of resources, focused on public radio pieces |
Background |
Unapologetically Black, Diversity, Collective Value |
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A Black Arts Movement play that thematically connects to the NFL Protests |
Play |
Unapologetically Black, Intergenerational |
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