In the era of the Civil Rights Movement, Black fans turned their fandom into a nonviolent weapon. They marched in protest of segregation, and they boycotted their team’s games to send a message that they would not let Jim Crow win. Today, fans might not be able to abandon their team if they found out the club’s owner had committed a heinous crime, but they may still choose not to go to the stadium or cheer for their players.
The stories in this issue highlight some of these efforts to create new spaces for civic engagement and social change. IC’s membership model draws on existing fandom communities to inspire its members to action, but it also offers them a sense of community that transcends previous community configurations. Dave’s story illustrates how a fan’s willingness to engage in activism is influenced by the extent to which they feel their team represents moral standards.
Reporters can help fans see their protests in a more meaningful light by focusing on people. By writing about the personalities of the teenager whose death prompted the protest and offering details on his hobbies, family life, or other aspects of his identity, reporters can humanize the story and encourage readers to have more positive attitudes toward the protest and the teenager’s supporters. By contrast, stories that focused on the teenager’s criminal past led fans to have more negative attitudes toward the protest and its participants.