The Opening Ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing kicks off a month filled with major sports media events. Upcoming events include the Super Bowl on Feb. 13 and the NBA All-Star Game, which occurs the weekend of Feb. 19 – 20. On top of this, the Washington Football Team announced its new name today, after retiring its racist original name and mascot last year in response to years of work by Indigenous advocates, including our Creative Change alumna Suzan Harjo.
This historic change reminds us that we, as advocates, are uniquely positioned to help shape narratives with a lens towards equity, justice, and systemic solutions. And you don’t have to be an expert sports analyst to add value to the conversation. Here are the potential narratives we’ll be tracking around this month’s sport events:
- Olympic athletes taking a stance on social justice issues during the Games, including anti-Asian racism throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Critique of China’s human rights record as host of the Winter Olympics.
- Change the Name advocacy beyond the Washington Football Team.
- Creative interventions for racial justice during the Super Bowl halftime show, which will feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.
Rely on our 5 tips to decide how and when to comment on these and emerging sports narratives. Cite the values of Voice, Equality, and Community.
Messaging guidance:
- Talking About Justice and Equity Through Sports (The Opportunity Agenda)
- Talking About Black Women in Sports (The Opportunity Agenda)
- Five Strategies for Talking About Anti-Asian Racism (The Opportunity Agenda)
- Change the Name campaign (Illuminative)
- Sports as a Vehicle for Social Change (RISE)
Research:
- The Case of the Cultural Influencers: Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Kimmel, and #MeToo (The Opportunity Agenda)
Hashtags: #Beijing2022; #WinterOlympics; #ChangeTheName; #StopTheChop; #NBAAllStar
