Prof. Shaun Anderson
John S. and James L. Knight Chair of Sports, Race, and Media for the Hussman School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the UNC faculty, he was Chair and Associate Professor for the Department of Communication Studies at Loyola Marymount University.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France marked the beginning of one thing and a continuation of the other: the first time that the opening ceremony was not in a stadium and the continuation of sport being an avenue to discuss pressing social issues. While the entertainment value of sports may be apparent, one cannot forget the spotlight that sport can place on many global issues.
For example, one of the most well-known sports protests occurred during the 1968 Olympic Games. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in solidarity with the civic unrest that was happening in the United States during their medal ceremony, demonstrating that sport on the global stage can be used as a tool for social change.
The 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan ushered in the concerns of mental health through sport when Olympic superstar, Simone Biles, pulled herself out of competition for feeling that she was not at full capacity to compete. She, along with other athletes, would go on to say how they are more than just entertainment vessels. They have concerns, thoughts, and fears just like anyone else.
For the Paris Games, athletes were ushered in boats across the Seine River to display which countries competed. When the United States athletes arrived, it was Lebron James and Coco Gauff who were the flag bearers. Controversy ensued as social media became abuzz with some being upset that these athletes were representing a flag that they were once criticizing during the height of the 2020 racial reckoning, where athletes were not only protesting but pushing for policy reform.
While sport and politics have always been a controversial pairing, an alternative aspect of it has burgeoned: can one both have a love for country and be hyper-critical of it when necessary?
LeBron James and Coco Gauff are representatives of accepting this duality. Both athletes have used their platforms to call out racial injustice, educational inequality, poverty, and other pressing social issues. Yet, both are proud individuals who love their sport and love representing the United States in competition. Still, the internet was rife with the “stick to sports” or “shut up and dribble” mantras that often signify the lack of intelligence they believe these athletes have when it comes to matters of development and peace.
It has been 24 years since the late former President of South Africa declared that “Sport has the power to change the world…”. He would go on to discuss how sport can bring about global unity and has the power to eradicate social issues better than any government could. In 2015, the United Nations declared sport as a viable tool to aid in their Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals are to:
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
- Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
- Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
- Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
- Reduce inequality within and among countries
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
- Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
- Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
- Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
- Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
- Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
- Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
While many may consider these lofty expectations, especially with the hope to accomplish these goals by 2030, hope remains. What the Paris game showed us during the opening ceremony was a love of country and a desire to eradicate social ills. Traditionally, only athletes light the Olympic torch; however, everyday citizens were involved in 2024 Paris Games torch lighting ceremony. Young and old, men and women, all individuals came together through the lens of sport. In what was his final closing as President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach mentioned “We know that the Olympic Games cannot create peace, but the Olympic Games can create a culture of peace that inspires the world.”
To achieve development and peace, there must be the acceptance that sport and politics will have to continue to coexist. The duality of love and criticism for one’s country must co-exist. These are necessary for tangible social change.
