Sports offer vivid case studies of public cheering turned into shared strength. After the 2018 US Open final, Williams consoled Naomi Osaka and asked the crowd to celebrate her—a real-time lesson in how recognition protects emerging talent. Likewise, the U.S. Women’s National Team pursued equal pay through unified advocacy, with teammates amplifying one another’s voices en route to a landmark 2022 settlement and collective bargaining agreement. These moments translate applause into leverage: visibility, narrative control, and negotiated change. [...]
