American Culture Studies Ph.D. Dissertations

"We Have a Choice and We Have a Voice": Exploring the Efforts and Experiences of Black Women Athletes Engaging in Social Justice Activism

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

American Culture Studies

First Advisor

Vikki Krane (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Nancy Spencer (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Michael Decker (Other)

Fourth Advisor

Angela Nelson (Committee Member)

Fifth Advisor

Lisa Hanasono (Committee Member)

Abstract

Recent research has examined how and why athletes engage in social justice activism, as well as the reactions and impact of such. Framed by feminist cultural studies and informed by Black feminist thought and intersectionality (King, 2018; Collins, 2009; Crenshaw, 1993), I explored the experiences of Black women athletes engaging in social justice activism. A feminist methodological approach (Ramazanoglu & Holland, 2002) guided this inquiry to understand how Black women athletes define social justice activism, their experiences with social justice activism, and their motivations. These Black women athletes shared powerful stories about their activism and the challenges they faced. Twelve Black women athletes participated in semi-structured interviews. These athletes represented six sports at the professional and colligate level. Using open and axial coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) the higher order themes include activism and intersectional identities, everyday activism, challenges, and cultivating a better future. Activism engagement is deeply personal for these Black women athletes given their experiences of adversity and their prescribed status as outsiders within. Because of this status, their activism engagement is largely on a day-to-day basis whereby they recognize the power of speaking up and building social connections. They also use social media as a primary form of everyday activism. A lack of support at the organizational and individual level was reported as a major barrier to their activism engagement, particularly for athletes attending historically White institutions. The cultural expectation for them as Black women to address social inequities was another challenge. Ultimately, motivations driving athletes’ activism include their fierce determination and ethic of care to ensure the next generation of Black athletes and Black peers and family members can live safely and freely. As such, these Black women represent a new wave of athlete activism in which they use their disruptive power to self-empower and empower others. Moreover, this study affirms the notion that politics are a profound reality of sport, and, as such, athletes do not operate in a vacuum.

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