Berkeley Preparatory School

Jim Brown’s Role in Shaping Perceptions of Athletes as Advocates for Social Change.

Arjun Tummala

Honors US History - H Block

Mr. Kurt Wahlgren

March 15, 2024

To what extent did the activism of Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown shape perceptions of athletes as advocates for social change?

Table of Contents:.

Introduction Jim Brown's Emergence as an Activist Public Perceptions and Reactions Legacy and Influence on Athlete Activism Tainted Legacy Conclusion.

Both historically and contemporarily, professional athletes have gained popularity not solely for their exceptional abilities within their respective sports, but also for …show more content…
In a 1985 interview, he said this: “I'm a man first, and as I said, football was never my first occupation. My first occupation was the economic development of minorities” (“Black Champions”). He was mainly motivated to uplift the community around him, inspired by the tough times that America faced, and this started with his time in the league. Jim Brown had many differences with his coaches. For one, despite the fact that his NFL coach, Paul Brown, pioneered the league in coaching black players, Jim Brown did not entirely approve of it and instead managed the politics of the team in his own hands, ensuring that all the African-American players were treated equally, a mission that was complicated since it occurred in the civil rights era. Brown stated this: “I was a politician, as well as a football player because I organized the black players so that we would be treated fairly and equal to anyone else, and of course that always caused you a problem because at that time, you know, you're talking about late 50s, early 60s, and whenever we talk, we have to understand that that was my era, and that was a revolutionary era.” ("Black Champions"). The goal of Jim Brown's work was to provide the descendants of the African-American community with courage, determination, and …show more content…
Jim Brown was successful in his advocacy because he had a reputation for being a determined NFL athlete who, despite his success, stayed true to the African-American community and its community. Brown did not just advise gang members and prison inmates to change their lives and serve themselves, but taught them the manner in which they would do so based on his own personal experiences and belief that economic development would result in success (“Jim Brown”). Moreover, Jim Brown was a major pioneer of the Black Power movement. Before he himself affiliated with any political ideology and before the movement gained popularity, his aggression and physicality, especially against white players, showed how powerful black athletes could be, and this was translated into politics (Zirin 73-74). Jim Brown had earned a reputation through the numbers he put up on the field, and he used this to command respect from owners and coaches and advocate that coaching staff treat their players, especially African-American athletes, with the same respect. In this way, Brown had changed the way athletes gained authority and influence both in and outside sports (Belson). Jim Brown used his masculinity and honesty to connect with gangsters, earn their respect, and advocate for his cause. He was incomparable to other athletes who attempted to do the same thing as he had the credibility that resulted from