The Gist

On Bended Knee

Being a sports star means your activism has a platform, but it doesn’t bode well for your career.

Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, then of the San Francisco 49ers, kneel in protest during the national anthem on Sept. 12, 2016.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

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Colin Kaepernick took a stand in 2016 by taking a knee during the national anthem at a football game, sparking a debate about racial injustice that continues to roil. But he’s just the latest in a long line of black activist athletes that have used their status to raise awareness and protest. Howard Bryant uncovers the history of these athletes in his book The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism.

In the Spiel, the “unfreakingbelievable” New York Times.

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Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Pierre Bienaimé.