The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World
- Downloads：2656
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-15 06:19:11
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Dave Zirin
- ISBN：1620976757
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Mike
，
Reading this book， which amounts to a collection of interviews with athletes -- high school， college， and pro -- who took a knee and/or raised a fist during the National Anthem， following the lead of Colin Kaepernick， I was struck by the courage and commitment of their actions， often in the face of extraordinary backlash， be it verbal abuse， isolation， or financial repercussions。 There is much to learn from listening to their stories and for all of us， especially white people like me， to process Reading this book， which amounts to a collection of interviews with athletes -- high school， college， and pro -- who took a knee and/or raised a fist during the National Anthem， following the lead of Colin Kaepernick， I was struck by the courage and commitment of their actions， often in the face of extraordinary backlash， be it verbal abuse， isolation， or financial repercussions。 There is much to learn from listening to their stories and for all of us， especially white people like me， to process in terms of how to be a successful ally to those who are oppressed。 。。。more
Victoria I
，
"The Kaepernick Effect" did a great job of having a vast majority of different athletic voices from high school all the way to the pros。 There was a large amount of stories from athletes who had varying levels of support and backlash in their choice to take a stand against police brutality。 The stories these people shared were really inspiring。 While the sections between each level of athletics were large， the subsections of each person felt appropriately lengthed and not too long or too short。 "The Kaepernick Effect" did a great job of having a vast majority of different athletic voices from high school all the way to the pros。 There was a large amount of stories from athletes who had varying levels of support and backlash in their choice to take a stand against police brutality。 The stories these people shared were really inspiring。 While the sections between each level of athletics were large， the subsections of each person felt appropriately lengthed and not too long or too short。 A great touch the author added was going back to some sources and asking how the players who were shunned and got major backlash after taking a knee felt following the summer tragedies that led to national police brutality protests in 2020。Overall， the book was a great way to read the stories of various athletes who took a stand， why， and how they were received。After a while， the formula of this book did get a bit redundant。 I could tell the same questions were used on most if not all of the people。 There were less transitional context between each of the sources quotes which may have just been a personal pet peeve but could also have been supplemented with analysis。 It just felt like a little something was missing。 。。。more
Rhonda
，
This book is one that should be shared with every human that reads & even those who don't。 It's a must read。 I'm in a biracial marriage and knowing the struggles we have from family， strangers hurts of course， but to read the sickening attacks that have happened in other's lives puts things into perspective。 Kapernick started a movement that people still struggle to understand but until people read this book and even more stories of WHY he took that knee history will repeat as it has in the past This book is one that should be shared with every human that reads & even those who don't。 It's a must read。 I'm in a biracial marriage and knowing the struggles we have from family， strangers hurts of course， but to read the sickening attacks that have happened in other's lives puts things into perspective。 Kapernick started a movement that people still struggle to understand but until people read this book and even more stories of WHY he took that knee history will repeat as it has in the past。 。。。more
Megan Gorecki | wellreadmegs
，
3。5 stars This is now the 2nd or 3rd book I've read written by Dave Zirin。 His books perfectly cross the intersectionality of sports and politics。 This book I feel like should have been called The Kaepernick Effect: stories from a movement。 Unlike Zirin's books usually， this book was mostly just excerpts of different athletes across high school， college， and professional sports who took a knee & the impetus for doing so。 Although interesting to hear the many stories， I found myself wanting more 3。5 stars This is now the 2nd or 3rd book I've read written by Dave Zirin。 His books perfectly cross the intersectionality of sports and politics。 This book I feel like should have been called The Kaepernick Effect: stories from a movement。 Unlike Zirin's books usually， this book was mostly just excerpts of different athletes across high school， college， and professional sports who took a knee & the impetus for doing so。 Although interesting to hear the many stories， I found myself wanting more of an analytical look into these movements besides first-person interviews and perspectives。 Maybe we are not far enough removed yet from the timing of this book and current world events to truly take an analytical approach。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Jaime Reynolds
，
I wish I could give this more than 3 stars。 I found the stories interesting and learned quite a bit about his decision affected so many。 I also found them a bit redundant and wished for more from other players and coaches and how ones actions affected them。 Maybe from both sides。 Or even include some fan perspectives。 It felt more one sided。 Kaepernick made waves with this…good and bad…but there isn’t as much directly from him。 It’s a story I believe people should read but just know going in， it I wish I could give this more than 3 stars。 I found the stories interesting and learned quite a bit about his decision affected so many。 I also found them a bit redundant and wished for more from other players and coaches and how ones actions affected them。 Maybe from both sides。 Or even include some fan perspectives。 It felt more one sided。 Kaepernick made waves with this…good and bad…but there isn’t as much directly from him。 It’s a story I believe people should read but just know going in， it may not be what you expect。 。。。more
Colette Edenborough
，
I wish there were half stars because I'd rate this more as a 3。5 than just a 3。I liked this book and it did what the synopsis promised - providing the stories of those that had followed in Kaepernick's footsteps whether they be high school or college student athletes， pros， coaches or parents across a wide variety of sports throughout the US。The book became a little repetitive with the reasons and motivations behind these people deciding to take action， however I think that ends up highlighting I wish there were half stars because I'd rate this more as a 3。5 than just a 3。I liked this book and it did what the synopsis promised - providing the stories of those that had followed in Kaepernick's footsteps whether they be high school or college student athletes， pros， coaches or parents across a wide variety of sports throughout the US。The book became a little repetitive with the reasons and motivations behind these people deciding to take action， however I think that ends up highlighting why action needed to be taken， why Kaepernick took a knee in the first place， that these incidents of police brutality or murdering of black men and women， of the injustices in America were not a one off but baked into the system of the country， so whilst it did feel like you were reading the same thing over and over， these stories drove home the point that no matter where you were in America， this mattered。 I think it was important to hear from the student athletes at both high school and college level， as well as their coaches。 These were kids that endured so much for doing something peaceful and didn't hurt anyone， yet for some the consequences were great。I would have liked to have heard more from the professional side - from coaches and GMs and league directors， although I know it's very unlikely that they would have spoken on the record。 It would have also been interesting to hear from political figures and sports reporters to hear what they thought of Kap's actions at the time and what they think now， if their views have changed。The person I really wanted to hear more about and from was Kaepernick。 I know that it was meant to look at the effect his kneeling had on a nation-wide level， however I think it's also important to understand who he is， the impact this had on him and where he is now and how the league has changed but he's still not been allowed back in。 I don't know if everyone that picks this up will necessarily have a full understanding of the before or the after of his kneeling， so it could have been useful to have a more rounded and complete view of the man that took a stand （knee） but then again， it's not supposed to be an autobiography of Kap。 Overall， I did really like it and if anything it left me thinking that thought of 'The Kids Are Alright'。 These kids are so engaged， they care about their communities and others and they believe that they should be heard and that we should all be equal。 They are willing to sacrifice their own futures and safety to bring awareness to a very real issue， to demand change and accountability and to make people look inward。 I'm glad that they are our future。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
，
The Kaepernick Effect documents the impact that one person could have on the world。 Looking back on the time， not so long ago， when he decided to express himself in a quiet and dignified way the original reaction was to ruin his career。 This book connects that act and that reaction through to what has now become a movement。 Anyone who wants to understand how a grassroots movement can really work， should check it out。
Marc
，
Zirin's book consists of inspiring and insightful interviews with a range of athletes （and one national anthem singer） from high school， college， professional， and Olympic teams。 The focus of these interviews， as evidenced by the title of the book， is how Colin Kaepernick inspired them to kneel （or raise a fist） during the national anthem to express concerns about our country， specifically the treatment of black and brown individuals by the police。 The lengthy interviews explain how the athlete Zirin's book consists of inspiring and insightful interviews with a range of athletes （and one national anthem singer） from high school， college， professional， and Olympic teams。 The focus of these interviews， as evidenced by the title of the book， is how Colin Kaepernick inspired them to kneel （or raise a fist） during the national anthem to express concerns about our country， specifically the treatment of black and brown individuals by the police。 The lengthy interviews explain how the athlete made the decision to make this statement， how their coaches， teammates， and community reacted， and the consequences of their actions。 These consequences typically included threats on social media， being benched or kicked off the team （or out of the sport）， being harassed at games， and on rare occasions being applauded and championed for their courage。 The athletes he interviews express themselves clearly and compellingly， making powerful arguments for their decisions and actions and explaining how their personal histories or studies led them to take these steps。 The largest concern with these interviews is they're often repetitive， with many athletes making similar points and only occasionally raising a unique argument or idea。The book misses being more persuasive and compelling because Zirin did no research， provides very little context for the stories， overlooks at least one enormous example （the Milwaukee Bucks refusing to play a playoff game out of protest）， and doesn't explore the narrative or examples provided by his interview subjects。 For example， I wanted to know what teammates and coaches thought about their actions and how they made their own decisions （Zirin rarely interviews coaches， and the few times he does it's those who were supportive）; I wanted to know what happened at some of the games from an objective perspective （or at least one beyond the storyteller's）; I wanted to hear from fans and get their opinions instead of reading this through the lens of the athlete; and often I wanted to know the stories behind the individuals who inspired these actions。 Some are very well-known--George Floyd， Trayvon Martin， Breonna Taylor， Michael Brown--while others are less familiar and are repeatedly referenced without explanation。 Any of this could have been easily accomplished with a little research and time and would have provided far greater context for the book's argument，。Perhaps most surprisingly， Zirin doesn't even interview Colin Kaepernick。 Given the thesis of his book， the lack of Kaepernick's perspective is a glaring omission that makes the reader wonder how much effort Zirin put into his research and interviews。 Based on the final product， it looks like the answer is "not much。" There's excellent and insightful information in this book， but it could have been much stronger and more persuasive with a little extra effort。 。。。more
Caroline 'reading with Buddy'
，
Well I didn't know what to expect from this book。 I found it very interesting and I learnt a lot。 I didn't realise a lot of what was contained in the book。 I especially found it interesting the section on cheerleaders and the chapters on baseball etc。I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own。 Well I didn't know what to expect from this book。 I found it very interesting and I learnt a lot。 I didn't realise a lot of what was contained in the book。 I especially found it interesting the section on cheerleaders and the chapters on baseball etc。I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own。 。。。more
Tara
，
Following Colin Kaepernick's decision to take a knee during the 2016 NFL season， athletes in a variety of sports and levels followed his lead。 Dave Zirin interviewed high school， college， and professional athletes about their decisions to take a knee， and the overall impact of their decisions。 This collection of personal experiences gives readers an understanding of how different people viewed taking a knee and the impact it has had on the individuals， their communities， the sports world， and th Following Colin Kaepernick's decision to take a knee during the 2016 NFL season， athletes in a variety of sports and levels followed his lead。 Dave Zirin interviewed high school， college， and professional athletes about their decisions to take a knee， and the overall impact of their decisions。 This collection of personal experiences gives readers an understanding of how different people viewed taking a knee and the impact it has had on the individuals， their communities， the sports world， and the nation。I read an ARC from NetGalley。 。。。more
Traci at The Stacks
，
This isn’t what I was expecting。 Mostly interviews with folks who protested in their sports who were inspired by Kaepernick。 It’s a little redundant。 Some of stories are very powerful。 Some are a little dull。 Love Zirin’s constant reminder that sports are and have always been political。
Michael Kitchen
，
On August 26， 2016， prior to the San Francisco 49ers' exhibition football game against the Green Bay Packers， 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was noticed for the first time by the media of his sitting during the national anthem。 After a conversation with former San Diego Charger and Green Beret Nat Boyer， Kaepernick takes a knee during the national anthem on September 1， 2016 in San Diego。 His message - "we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with。 We have a lot of peopl On August 26， 2016， prior to the San Francisco 49ers' exhibition football game against the Green Bay Packers， 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was noticed for the first time by the media of his sitting during the national anthem。 After a conversation with former San Diego Charger and Green Beret Nat Boyer， Kaepernick takes a knee during the national anthem on September 1， 2016 in San Diego。 His message - "we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with。 We have a lot of people that are oppressed。 We have a lot of people that aren't treated equal， given equal opportunities。 Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed。 There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about， to be brought to life， and we need to fix those。"Though there were loud voices against Kaepernick， high school， college， and pro athletes held the same belief。 His action inspired them to echo the message。In "The Kaepernick Effect，" Dave Zirin brings to light the voices and actions of those athletes who protested police brutality and racism in the wake of Kaepernick's action。 And while at the time many couldn't grasp the reason for the protest， it became much clearer with the murder of George Floyd during the COVID pandemic。 This is an excellent read about the athletes， how and why they protested， and the results and consequences of their actions。 An All Star team of heroes and leaders。 。。。more
Montzalee Wittmann
，
The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee， Changing the Worldby Dave ZirinI think more people understand now what Kaepernick was taking a knee for after seeing George Floyd's murder。 But at the time Kaepernick was kneeling， Kaepernick was an ousider but also an inspiration to many that had lived or living with the constant racist attacks and taunts。 At the time too， there were plenty of minorities that were being killed in plain sight by cops and nothing was done about it。 Justice was not in action i The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee， Changing the Worldby Dave ZirinI think more people understand now what Kaepernick was taking a knee for after seeing George Floyd's murder。 But at the time Kaepernick was kneeling， Kaepernick was an ousider but also an inspiration to many that had lived or living with the constant racist attacks and taunts。 At the time too， there were plenty of minorities that were being killed in plain sight by cops and nothing was done about it。 Justice was not in action in America。 The flag did not mean freedom and justice for all and Kaepernick was willing to give everything to bring attention to this fact。Kaepernick's bravery and commitment to bringing the injustice to light inspired many people in the sports field to also take a stand。 Professional， semi-professionals， coaches， various team athletes， and cheerleaders all share stories。 Even teachers。 This book tells us about some of them and how they became involved。 Many have some very horrific tales of racist attacks before they take a stand but they didn't let that stop them。 The attacks became even worse after they took their stand。 The Kaepernick effect on young people had them standing up to get the change started。 They started with getting people to talk about racism， injustice， BLM， and police brutality。 It spread like crazy with high school and colleges。 This also tells of how people tried shutting them down。 This is very informative and interesting。 I enjoyed the stories of these brave kids。 It was sickening to read all they went through in their day to day life just because they were of color！ They should be very proud of themselves for their decisions to try to make a change in this messed up world！I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book！ 。。。more
Christina
，
A look at how Kaepernick's national anthem protests against police brutality have reverberated across the sports world， from high school to college to pros。 This does get repetitive after a while， as many of these stories are quite similar， but who can get tired of （mostly） young people having a moment of realization about racial injustice and deciding to take action？ A look at how Kaepernick's national anthem protests against police brutality have reverberated across the sports world， from high school to college to pros。 This does get repetitive after a while， as many of these stories are quite similar， but who can get tired of （mostly） young people having a moment of realization about racial injustice and deciding to take action？ 。。。more
James
，
This might be Zirin's finest work to date。 The purpose of the book is to illustrate the deep effect the Colin Kaepernick kneeling protest had on a wide spread array of young athletes and beyond。 The book is divided into three sections: high school athletes， college athletes， and professional athletes （interestingly， the shortest section which speaks to how the book is really centered on young people。） It reads very engagingly because Zirin lets the participants speak for themselves， and it takes This might be Zirin's finest work to date。 The purpose of the book is to illustrate the deep effect the Colin Kaepernick kneeling protest had on a wide spread array of young athletes and beyond。 The book is divided into three sections: high school athletes， college athletes， and professional athletes （interestingly， the shortest section which speaks to how the book is really centered on young people。） It reads very engagingly because Zirin lets the participants speak for themselves， and it takes a chilling pattern: The mostly African-American （but not entirely） teenager or young adult athletes take a knee during the national anthem after being inspired by Kaepernick's show of solidarity with the rising Black Lives Matter movement。 Then， the reaction begins in fury， with parents openly letting loose in racist tirades， teachers， coaches， and principles working to silence the athletes and sometimes outright running them off the team。 Then， the continuing and vicious reaction tests the athletes resolve， and many of their allies and comrade crumble。 One particularly disturbing part has a mostly black football team read the entire Star Spangled Banner， where in the seldomly sung third verse， the poem speaks of killing slaves who had fled to the British lines， written by the slave-owning Key。 Zirin makes the book even stronger by revisiting all of many interviewees to ask them about the George Floyd murder and huge protests of 2020， and across the board， the speakers say that they are both saddened the struggle continues but proud they were on the right side of history。 Zirin says in the introduction that he originally started writing this book to give a voice to those lesser known anthem-kneelers because he was afraid the moment would be forgotten， but then the 2020 protests happened that began to shake up the old police-as-gods consensus。 This book is quite timely， and due to recording the voices of this wave of kneelings， will age well。 At the end of the book， the section on professionals contains the more well known names in Michael Bennent， Megan Rapinoe， Eric Reed， and more， but the real meat of the book shows how widespread in high schools and colleges across the United States this movement for racial justice by politically aware athletes had become and continues today。 A must read。Note: Received a Review Copy to write this review。 。。。more
Jennifer
，