Amid the Civil Rights Movement, Black fans turned their fandom into a powerful tool by using sports as a forum for nonviolent protest. Teams were forced to respond or risk losing their Black support. From boycotting the NFL to chanting derogatory chants at then-Dallas Mavericks owner Jerry Wolman, fans used their passions and their voices to change sports. Black journalists like Jim Hall, Marcel Hopson, and Marion Jackson helped keep the movement alive by writing about these fan protests in their newspapers.

During Tottenham Hotspur’s 2024-25 season, a large number of supporters held a protest against the club’s ownership and chairman Daniel Levy before their Premier League match against Manchester United in February. They chanted “Levy out” and carried banners that said “24 years, 16 managers, one trophy.”

Gloria Jimenez and Bruce Martin are leaders of Angel City Brigade, which has made its voice heard during Galaxy home games since 2007. During the club’s match against Vancouver on Friday night, members of the group who sit in sections 121 and 122 of Dignity Health Sports Park kept their voices quiet in protest of the raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) against Southern California’s Latino communities.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates were in a deep slump in 2007, a few thousand fans rallied before the game at PNC Park and pledged to walk out of the stadium after three innings. Only a handful of fans actually left, but the walkout was seen as symbolic and helped spark changes within the organization.