Black Male College Athletes’ Perceptions of Race & Athlete Activism

Kwame Agyemang, Doctoral StudentJoshua DeLorme, Doctoral Student

John N. Singer, Ph.D., Assistant ProfessorTexas A&M University, Department of Health and Kinesiology

Division of Sport Management April 17, 2009

College Sport Research Institute

Outline• Why This Topic?• Historical Overview• Literature Review• Purpose• Critical Race Theory• Methods• Results• Implications• Questions?

Muhammad Ali

Why This Topic?• What is activism?

– A doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

– Can come in different forms• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eLrJMb6w

pk• Where is the activism?• Current Injustices

– Graduation -Classes– “Stacking” -Transfer /yearly contracts– Upper level management positions

Curt Flood

Historical Overview

• 1968 Mexico City Olympics

• Muhammad Ali (1966-67)• Jesse Owens (1936)• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

(1967-68)• Jim Brown (1967-68)

• Curt Flood (1969)• Ozzie Simmons-Iowa

University (1936)• Leonard Bates-NYU (1940s)• George Hagan-NYU (1940s)• University of Oklahoma• Kansas University

Ozzie SimmonsJim Brown

Literature Review• Perceptions of Race

– Flaws of American society—inequalities and cultural stereotypes (West, 1993)

– Black athlete severely exploited in the American context (Edwards, 1970)

– Race still matters (Singer, 2005)• Denied access• Treated different compared to Whites• Supports research of Brooks & Althouse (1993b,

2000b)– Race does not matter (Brown, et al., 2003)

• Athletic identity trumps racial identity

Cornel West

Literature Review• Perceptions of Athlete Activism

– Road has been paved for Black athlete today by their forefathers (Powell, 2008)

– Black athlete shies away from speaking out (Powell, 2008)

– It’s all about the Benjamins; lack of political involvement (Rhoden, 2006)

Lebron James

Cont’d• Perceptions of Athlete Activism

– “If you asked them about the history of the black athlete, many couldn’t tell you much” -Harry Edwards (Leonard, 1998)

– “They have no idea about who set the table at which they are feasting” (Leonard, 1998)

Harry Edwards

Purpose• Attempting to understand

perceptions of…– Race– Athlete Activism

• Comparing two generations of athletes– Differences between today’s

Black athlete and yesteryear’s

• Lack of activism

Critical Race Theory (CRT)• Epistemological framework that

surfaced to confront positivist and legal dialogue of civil rights

• Scholars use to explain racism• Pioneers

– Derrick Bell– Alan Freeman– Richard Delgado– Gloria Ladson-Billings

Derrick Bell

Tenets of CRT1. Race and racism are mainstays

in U.S. society– deeply embedded legally,

culturally, and psychologically2. Asserts people of color have a

unique perspective to convey– Utilize people of color

through storytelling and narratives

Jesse Owens

Methods• Exploratory qualitative

case study• Semi-structured

interviews• Primary researcher

conducted interviews• Purposeful sampling

(criterion sampling) (Patton, 1990)

• Student-athletes had to meet 2 criteria

• Final sample comprised of six athletes– 3 football, 3 track & field

• Took place at a large Midwestern PWI

• Sports known for their competitiveness and visibility

Jackie Robinson

Results4 Preliminary Themes

a) believed that race still matters today

b) had some awareness of the athlete activism of their predecessors from the civil rights era and insisted they would have taken similar actions back then

c) the mindset of Black athletes years ago is different compared to Black athletes nowadays

d) felt that Black athletes today have a responsibility to speak to social causes

Tommie Smith

Race• “Uhh, I think race will always matter…• “…to say that race is [non existent] is ignorant

because we all knows it still does [exist]…”• “we still have rules in place that say you have

to interview African Americans…”• “It’s a big issue…Racism is still going on right

now…Always an issue in America…it will never stop, it will never stop!”

• “…because I’m a Black male, my opportunities would be less and I probably would need a little bit more to be able to have the same type of positions or to succeed”

Arthur Ashe

Awareness• “…[predecessors] helped a lot of guys ya

know like myself you know to go farther with [my] education”

• “we’ve all seen the Olympic picture…that image to the youth of that time empowered them incredibly”

• “Well definitely, I would do something. If I grew up in that culture where I’m ya know, I mean, where I have a lot of struggles based on race…yeah”

• “Yeah, I think I would have stood up for certain causes because I know it will affect other people”

Bill Russell

Mindset• “some people just don’t care

about it I guess”• …values are different. Uh a lot

of athletes now, especially a lot of collegiate athletes, they’re more focused on ya know, tryin to make it to the league”

• …you don’t wanna really put your opinion on anything because you don’t wanna be criticized…”

Responsibility• “By them being a role model…their

words would be bigger to certain people”

• “They should make it one of their main priorities”

• “They’re gonna influence a lot of people because they’re athletes and people embrace them”

• “Yeah yeah yeah…definitely they have a responsibility. They should have a stance”

Vince Matthews

Implications• Research

– Illuminating Black athletes’ disposition towards injustice

– More case studies needed at different institutions and levels

• Practical– Black student-athlete as primary

stakeholder in sport– Represent viable pool for future leaders

in sport industry– Represent the forerunners for a

movement against injustice and inequality in sport and society

Harriet Tubman“I grew up like a neglected weed --

ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it.”

“I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”

Questions?