The Missouri No Compromise Achieving 21st Century Social Change in an Oligarchic United States

The Missouri No CompromiseAchieving 21st Century Social Change in an Oligarchic United StatesBy David Hollander, Assistant Professor, NYU School of Professional Studies, Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media and Business

Research Assistant: Eli Nachmany, B.S. Candidate, May 2017, NYU School of Professional Studies, Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media and Business

4th Annual University of Louisville Ali Center for Athletes and Social Change Forum (April 9, 2016)

BackgroundCommon complaint today in Americaacross interest groupsof entrenched institutional unfairness serving the interests of a small, top-of-the-pyramid group who depend on this unfairness to maintain their wealth and power.

America = Oligarchy

Protest groups/opposition groups form, but change seems too hard to achieve

BUT at the University of Missouri a social protest from the mens football team achieved specific change in record time

QUESTIONCan we pull lessons from University of Missouri and share and apply these lessons toward the goal of achieving real social change in todays America?

What Happened at Missouri?Brief Recap and Timeline

Historical Significance of Missouri36 hours.

Fastest result ever by a high profile national social protest?

Yes!

Analysis and Dynamics of MissouriMoney talksand is heard.

Lessons of Mizzou (Part I)Two Separate Groups Suffering in the Same Oligarchic StructureStudents at Missouri experiencing institutional racism, protests and hunger strikes yield no result

At the same time, college athletes want to be paidthey have gone to court (OBannon) and NLRB (Northwestern) and got little or negative results

Both groups were asking for change for themselves within available systems, officiated by people who are part of the oligarchic structure which has already foreseen them using the system and can control the outcome

Lessons of Mizzou (Part II)Utilizing the Oligarchic Structure Against ItselfInstead, Mizzou football players clearly saw their indispensability to the oligarchic system of big-time, unpaid college sports, accepted it, and used it to help another groups cause, because that group had a need outside oligarchic system of big-time, unpaid college sports which was not anticipated by the oligarchic system of big-time, unpaid college sports

The demand was specific and clear: FIRE THE PRESIDENT

Use existing oligarchy against itself by triangulating to cause pain in an area not yours, but leveraging indispensability to your area in your area.

The unfair system cannot exist without your participation. Youre indispensable to it. So use that.

Identify your leverage point in existing unfair system, accept that position as your chip in the game, and make demand specific.The New Missouri Social Change Paradigm

What other demands could big-time college sports teams make from their universities/NCAA?65-85 mens D-I football/basketball programs can hold their schools hostage due to universities tail wags the dog financial model

Each school individually or collectively could demand specific changes in the following areas, for example:

Race/gender composition of facultyCampus sexual assaultTuition/student loan terms

Employing Missouri Paradigmfor other social change groups who could benefit: Donald Sterlings racist remarks (2014 NBA Playoffs)LGBT rights in Houston, TX (2016 Final Four)Human trafficking in Brazil (2016 Olympics)

Thank you!Any Questions?