The Nation's Dave Zirin and Bleacher Report contributor Rembert Browne are coming together to discuss the political platform athletes have and the cost it may bring.
When Colin Kaepernick took a stand during the national anthem he joined a long line of sports figures that have protested racism through their gestures and actions. On Tuesday, April 10, Bleacher Report contributor Rembert Browne and The Nation's Dave Zirin are coming together at the Brooklyn Historical Society to examine the platform these athletes have and to discuss the controversy that was sparked by their actions.
Called "the best sportswriter in the United States," by sports journalist Robert Lipsyte, Dave Zirin writes about the politics of sports for the Nation Magazine. He is their first sports writer in 150 years of existence. Zirin is also the author of numerous books including his most recent release Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Vibe Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the New York Daily News, The Source and numerous other publications.
Zirin will be joined by Rembert Browne, a former writer for New York Magazine and Grantland, ESPN's sports and pop culture blog. In 2016, Forbes magazine added Browne to its "30 Under 30" list, citing his work on "everything from reporting on the ground in Ferguson, to interviewing President Obama on Air Force One, to covering pop culture." With Ta-Nehisi Coates, Browne co-wrote Black Panther: World of Wakanda #6 for Marvel Comics, published in 2017.
The conversation is part of the exhibition Until Everyone Has It Made: Jackie Robinson's Legacy at BHS Pierrepont. The exhibition celebrates Jackie Robinson, who broke the professional baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base in 1974 and features an array of archival materials, photographs, programs and other memorabilia.
Taking a Knee: Sports and Activism
When: Tuesday, April 10, 7:00pm
Where: Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
How much: $10. Tickets are available here.