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Section One: The Fundamentals
A) Keywords
Exercise 1:
Briefly (in 100 words or less) define one of the keywords in the padlet (including one that you. may have added yourself).
| Racial colorblindness is the idea that race shouldn’t matter, that people should be treated equally without considering racial differences. On the surface, it sounds fair, but ignoring race also means ignoring racism and the real inequalities that still exist. Instead of solving the problem, it can actually make it harder to address issues like discrimination and systemic bias.
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B) Representing Race
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
In about 50-70 words, consider Joel Bervell’s question: why do we feel the need to extrapolate the athleticism of one Black athlete to all Black people when we do not do the same for white athletes?
Try to think of examples when this happens, making sure to reflect on your own positionality.
| This happens in conversations about basketball, where people assume Black players succeed due to natural talent, while white players are seen as hardworking or strategic. For example, Larry Bird was often praised for his court awareness and strategic mindset, while Michael Jordan’s skill was oftentimes attributed to innate ability. As a non-Black person, I recognize how these narratives downplay the effort and intelligence of Black athletes, reinforcing racial stereotypes.
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C) Gender, Race & Sport
Exercise 3: Notebook Prompt
What are some strategies for resistance that Rajack and Joseph identify in their article as a means of pushing back against and resisting misogynoir?
| Razack and Joseph identify several strategies for resisting misogynoir in sports media, particularly through self representation and digital activism. Naomi Osaka, for example, used social media to challenge racial erasure, affirm her Haitian heritage, and complicate the simplistic narratives imposed on her identity. By embracing her dual heritage and rejecting forced singular categorizations, she disrupted mainstream media’s reliance on racial binaries. Additionally, she employed humor and public callouts to push back against racist remarks, using her platform to reshape the conversation on her own terms. Fan led counter narratives on social media also played a role in holding media and sponsors accountable, demonstrating how digital spaces can be powerful tools for resisting misogynoir and amplifying Black women’s voices. |
Section Two: Making Connections
A) Athlete Activism
Exercise 3: Padlet Prompt
Do athletes have a responsibility to use their platform for social change? Why or why not? Please remember to record your response in both the padlet below and in your Notebook.
B) Athlete Activism & Feminism
Exercise 4: Complete the activities
Exercise 5: Notebook Prompt
What do the authors of the article call for as a way of challenging how mainstream sports journalism privileges neoliberal feminist concerns? (100 words max.)
| Cooky and Antunovic call for a rethinking of how sports media narratives are constructed, advocating for a methodological shift that expands what is considered sports media. They argue that mainstream coverage prioritizes neoliberal feminist concerns, such as equal pay, while marginalizing intersectional feminist activism, particularly from women of color. By disrupting dominant storytelling methods and including diverse media sources, scholars and journalists can challenge the systemic privileging of whiteness and neoliberalism in sports feminism, making space for narratives that critique broader structural inequalities beyond gender-based pay gaps.
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C) Corporate social justice
Exercise 6: Padlet Poll
| Sports leagues do not consistently support BLM because their responses are driven more by financial and audience considerations than by a firm commitment to social justice. While some leagues appear more supportive, their actions often align with what is safest for their brand rather than a genuine stand for racial justice. This inconsistency suggests that their activism is conditional, shaped by external pressures rather than internal principles.
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Section Three: Taking a shot
Module Assignment (submit as part of notebook and separately through Blackboard mini assignment #1 portal)
In Ted Lasso, Sam Obisanya serves as a compelling representation of a racialized athlete activist. As a Nigerian footballer for AFC Richmond, Sam takes a public stance against the team’s sponsor, Dubai Air, due to its parent company’s exploitation of natural resources in Nigeria. His activism highlights the power of athletes to challenge corporate and systemic injustices, reinforcing the idea that sports can be a platform for political engagement. Sam’s activism follows a progression from individual protest, where he refuses to wear the sponsor’s logo, to collective solidarity as his teammates support him. This mirrors Cooky and Antunovic’s argument that athlete activism is often most effective when framed as a collective effort rather than an isolated act. However, unlike female athletes in the WNBA, who have led social justice movements but received limited media attention, Sam’s activism is fully acknowledged within the show’s narrative. This reflects a broader pattern in sports media, where men’s activism tends to receive more visibility and support compared to women’s activism (Cooky & Antunovic, 2020). Moreover, race and nationality shape Sam’s portrayal as an activist. As a Nigerian athlete in an English league, his activism is rooted in a transnational identity, emphasizing how sports can serve as a global stage for social justice. While Ted Lasso presents Sam as a morally upright figure, the show largely avoids depicting the real-life consequences that athletes often face for speaking out, such as financial penalties or career repercussions. This reflects Cooky and Antunovic’s argument that mainstream media often dilute athlete activism to make it more acceptable to wider audiences. By framing Sam’s activism as universally praised rather than met with significant resistance, Ted Lasso reinforces an optimistic view of sports as a progressive space, even though real world examples suggest that athlete activism is often met with institutional pushback. This representation shapes audience perceptions of sports as a site where activism is welcomed rather than contested, simplifying the complexities of real-world athlete activism.
Cooky, C., & Antunovic, D. (2020). This isn’t just about us: Articulations of feminism in media narratives of athlete activism. Communication & Sport, 8(4-5), 692-711.
