Sport-based social justice movements and activism: A narrative review

Teixeira da Silva, Jaime, Scelles, Nicolas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6177-5307, Deutscher, Christian and Fatoye, Francis (2025) Sport-based social justice movements and activism: A narrative review. Sport in Society, 18 (2). e70052. ISSN 1461-0981

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Abstract

This comprehensive narrative review explores the landscape of sport-based social justice movements and civic activism that have taken place, in the aftermath of the NFL’s ‘take a knee’ movement. In the U.S., various socio-political issues are acute, with athletes demonstrating a pronounced proclivity for activism. Pertinent papers identified on Google Scholar and Scopus were categorized into three thematic sub-sections, each representing a distinct facet: 1) a source of the ‘take a knee’ movement; 2) athletes’ choices, risks, and benefits associated with sport-based activism; 3) the relationships between athletes and other actors, and their impacts. Ultimately, athletes who engage in activism should consider resource deficits, personal challenges, and fear of external threats or harm. Balancing these limitations against the positive impact of activism on society is essential for athletes to navigate the complexities of engaging in social issues within the context of their sports careers.