This past year, we have seen fan groups mobilize to shift conversations within sports in unprecedented ways. For decades, Indigenous advocates have pushed for teams with appropriative and racist names and mascots to change them. More recently, several of these teams’ customer bases accelerated that process by uniting in demanding change.
Fans have pushed forward vital conversations and supported important issues, like equal pay for women in soccer. The WNBA’s Atlanta Dream even rallied their fanbase to oust their Trump-supporting owner and change the franchise’s trajectory.
After over a year of no fans in the stadiums, sports leagues have had an opportunity to reflect.
Sports may have once been considered venues for escapism, but they have since become important public spaces
in which athletes are supported by fans to discuss their experiences and struggles.
Fans have the power to ensure that sports are inclusive of all the people who love them. More than ever before, fans are in a position to demand accountability, and many know that fighting anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism and Islamophobia is not just about
performance—it's about action.
My job title was personal assistant, but all my duties pertained to Harvey’s collection. Provenance was everything. A purchase had to be like a royal marriage, the lineage assured.