Recent shifts in societal activism have prompted an exploration of athlete activism, particularly within higher education, where social media has become a pivotal platform for social impact. This paper investigates Division I college athletes’ engagement in athlete activism through the lens of self-authorship and self-presentation on social media for racial and social justice. Existing research underscores the significance of social media in athlete activism, focusing on access barriers, advocacy efforts, and resistance against inequalities. Through an exploratory study, we investigate how college athletes’ processes of self-authorship and selfpresentation relate to social media activism. Our findings reveal three overarching themes: social media as an activist tool, empowerment, and a starting point for advocacy. The findings suggest avenues for college sports administrators to facilitate dialogue, comprehend the strategic utilization of social media in athlete activism, and acknowledge college athletes’ aspiration for increased involvement in effecting meaningful change within their communities. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of college athletes’ contributions to social discourse and racial and social justice initiatives.

中文翻译：

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“我有能力实施变革：”大学运动员利用社交媒体促进种族和社会正义


最近社会激进主义的转变促使人们探索运动员激进主义，尤其是在高等教育领域，社交媒体已成为产生社会影响的关键平台。本文通过自我创作和在社交媒体上自我展示以促进种族和社会正义的视角，调查了一级大学运动员参与运动员激进主义的情况。现有研究强调了社交媒体在运动员行动主义中的重要性，重点关注访问障碍、宣传工作和对不平等的抵抗。通过一项探索性研究，我们调查了大学运动员的自我创作和自我展示过程与社交媒体激进主义的关系。我们的研究结果揭示了三个总体主题：社交媒体作为活动工具、赋权和倡导的起点。研究结果为大学体育管理人员提供了促进对话的途径，理解社交媒体在运动员活动中的战略性利用，并承认大学运动员希望更多地参与在其社区内实现有意义的变革。这些见解有助于更深入地了解大学运动员对社会话语以及种族和社会正义倡议的贡献。