THE STADIUM

A peoples’ history of the irresistibility of stadiums as venues for political spectacle.

Since the early 20th century, municipally and privately owned stadiums and indoor arenas have attracted both those involved in politics of resistance and advocates of white nationalism and “militarized patriotism.” They offer places to congregate and a captive audience, and they reinforce social exclusions and preserve social hierarchies. Guridy, a professor of history and African American studies and the author of The Sports Revolution, spins a fascinating story of how stadiums are intertwined with political movements, the corporatization of professional sports, and reactionary forces acting in support of gender inequalities, white supremacy, and the military. After the mid-20th century, publicly owned, multipurpose stadiums served as spaces for grassroots mobilizations by Black civil rights groups, Native Americans, and gay and lesbian organizations. Throughout their history, in fact, sporting events have been sites of patriotic expression such as the singing of the national anthem and, post-9/11, admiration for the military, police, and first responders. The author educates readers on the basketball players who declared their support for the Black Lives Matter movement; the Gay Games held in San Francisco in 1982; a pro-Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden in 1939; the Wattstax ’72 concert, which celebrated Black music at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; Confederate-themed events at southern football stadiums; and an AIDS demonstration at Shea Stadium in 1988 by the women of ACT-UP. Guridy also considers the racial and gender diversity of sports audiences and the decline of income diversity in the 1980s as newly built stadiums became more single-purpose and heavily commercialized and tickets got more expensive. More than architecture, the author shows, stadiums are sites for both preserving and protesting the status quo.

An astute reminder that democracy depends on public spaces where people can congregate and political action can occur.