3
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).
| Racism without racists:
“Racism without racists” is a concept ive just learned about through these modules. It is described as a form of racism that exists in society without necessarily having any overtly racist individuals. It suggests that racism can be caused from microaggressions (even subconsciously) and is embedded in social structures, institutions, and cultural norms, rather than being the result of individual bigotry or explicit hatred towards a particular racial group. It may represent a society where discriminatory practices and inequalities continue to persist, even when most people do not express openly racist beliefs or act in ways that are overtly discriminatory. This can be seen systemically in social determinants of health such as housing, education, criminal justice, and employment, where racial disparities exist even when people claim to support equality and diversity.
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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.
| Racialization in sport involves attributing specific physical or intellectual qualities to athletes based on their racial or ethnic background, shaped by historical, social, and cultural factors. For Black athletes, this often leads to the stereotype of the “natural athlete,” where success in sports is seen as a result of inherent physical traits like speed, strength, and agility. For example, in tennis, Serena Williams is celebrated for her exceptional strength, speed, and agility. This athlete’s success is frequently attributed to her “natural” physical gifts, reinforcing the stereotype that Black athletes excel due to innate athleticism. This generalization can lead to the false belief that all Black people possess similar physical abilities, overlooking the years of training, strategy, and mental focus that contribute to their success. In contrast, when white athletes like Roger Federer achieve success, the narrative often centers on their mental sharpness, work ethic, or strategic thinking, rather than any “natural” physical advantages. This difference in framing perpetuates the idea that Black athletes are naturally gifted, while white athletes’ accomplishments are attributed to intelligence and effort, further reinforcing the racialized perception of athleticism.
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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?
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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.
I don’t believe this question is simply black and white; rather, it involves a range of perspectives. While athletes hold significant influence due to their fame and social media followings, I don’t think they are necessarily obligated to use their platform for social change. That said, sometimes remaining silent on social issues can imply compliance, as though one is subconsciously contributing to the problem. For example, its similar to how witnessing an act of racism and choosing not to intervene may be contributing the the broader systemic issue. However, I also recognize the immense pressures athletes face, especially in the age of social media, where every post is scrutinized. Ultimately, I think it depends on how personally impacted an athlete feels by a social issue and how strongly they want to advocate for change.
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.)
| The authors of the paragraph call for a broader and more inclusive approach within feminist sports media studies. They argue that mainstream sports journalism often focuses on gender representation issues framed within masculinist structures, which unintentionally reinforces the marginalization of feminist perspectives. To address this, the authors propose a “telling stories differently” (Cooky & Antunovic, 2020) approach. This method goes beyond just offering corrective narratives but also actively incorporates a range of feminist voices and viewpoints. The goal is to bring greater visibility to feminism within athlete activism, specifically using examples such as the WNBA’s involvement with #BlackLivesMatter and the U.S. women’s soccer equal pay lawsuit. By doing this, the authors aim to examine how various forms of feminism are represented in the media and challenge the dominance of neoliberal feminist ideologies
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C) Corporate social justice
Exercise 6: Padlet Poll
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Similar to my previous response, I believe that teams that don’t speak up on social issues like racism or BLM might unintentionally send a message that they support the issue. For example, if you witness racism and don’t act on it, you may be indirectly supporting it as a bigger systemic problem. I understand that athletes face lots of pressures, especially from social media and discrimination, which can make it hard to speak out. However, I believe sports teams as a whole should support movements like BLM. Athletes are more than just players; they are people who have the power to influence public opinions. With 75% of NBA players and 70% of NFL players being Black, having Black athletes or coaches in leadership roles is essential for representing and supporting important social issues. These athletes have a platform that can impact fans and society. It’s not just about sports—it’s about using their influence to challenge unfair systems, raise awareness, and push for change. Teams and organizations need to understand that their role goes beyond entertainment; they should also be advocating for social justice, like supporting BLM.
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Section Three: Taking a shot
Module Assignment (submit as part of notebook and separately through Blackboard mini assignment #1 portal)
Taking A Shot: Simone Biles – Athlete A
Simone biles is a lot of things, she’s a superstar athlete and role model to other young gymnasts, but she’s also a mental health advocate, a black woman, and a survivor or sexual assault within sport. When the first female U.S. gymnast to win four gold medals at a single olympic games and the first gymnast to win six all around world titles spoke up and decided to pull out from the 2021 Tokyo Olympic games for her mental health, society sparked a larger conversation around mental health, athletics and race (Luan Peszek, 2019).
Intersectionality and sport
Simone Biles, although considered the “big sister” of gymnastics, faces marginalization in many intersecting forms. For example Simone and her siblings were in foster care for years, before being adopted by her grandparents, as her parents struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction (Benitz, 2021). She experiences intersectionality not only as a woman of colour, but also through social determinants of health, including poverty, income, housing, and mental health. Her journey through sport is further complicated by the racial ideologies embedded in areas such as coaching practices, media portrayals, and societal attitudes. Though often subtle, these ideologies reinforce inequalities and shape the experiences of Black athletes (Hylton, 2010). Simone has been racialized in sport to be perceived as successful due to her race, and therefore ‘natural’, or ‘innate’ athleticism, strength and physical abilities (Hoberman, 1997). Subconsciously or consciously this causes racism without racists in society where she is only viewed for her physical capabilities and not rewarded for the mental attributes such as her incredible perseverance, work ethic, and resilience. Hoberman uses the term ‘image factory’ to describe how the world of sport disseminates misinformation of black athletes and intensifies our racial preoccupations (Hoberman, 1997: xxiii).
Activism
Simone Biles first spoke out during the Larry Nassar trial where she said “I blame Larry Nasser, and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse” (“Simone Biles: ‘I Blame System That Enabled Larry Nassar Abuse,’2021). In 2020, the film ‘Athlete A’ was released, and was a very powerful medium for Simone and other athletes activists to speak out about their subjective experiences in sport. However, when Simone chose to step away form the Olympic games in 2021 the world was shocked, regardless of the evident enormous physical and physiological pressures she was enduring in sport (Kaplan, 2021). Later, Simone spoke out and said “I say put mental health first, because, if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport… So it’s OK sometimes even to sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are, rather than just battle through it.”(Kaplan, 2021). Many athletes worldwide can relate to the mental health struggles faced by this star, which is how she earned the title of “big sister” within the gymnastics community. Simone has continued to use interviews and social media to speak out and raise awareness on these issues (“Simone Biles Embodies Both the Aspirations and Struggles of Black America,” 2021).
In conclusion, Simone Biles, at 24, stands as the face of gymnastics and the Olympics—a Black woman and mental health advocate who faces immense societal pressure. Moreover, for her to set firm public boundaries for her mental well-being, confront a sexual predator, and publicly speak out about mental health is a very powerful act. It challenges the societal expectations placed on women, particularly Black women, who are often told not to speak up or assert themselves in such ways (“Simone Biles Embodies Both the Aspirations and Struggles of Black America”, 2021)
References
Benitz, S. (2021, June 28). Inside Simone Biles’ Family Life: Meet Her Parents, Brother and More. In Touch Weekly. https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/simone-biles-family-everything-you-need-to-know-about-her-relatives/
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. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479519896360
Hoberman, J. M. (1997). Darwin’s athletes : how sport has damaged Black America and preserved the myth of race. Houghton Mifflin Co.
Hylton, K. (2010). How a turn to critical race theory can contribute to our understanding of “race”, racism and anti-racism in sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 45(3), 335–354. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690210371045
Kaplan, E. A. (2021, July 29). Opinion | Simone Biles and the New Black Power of “No.” POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/07/29/simone-biles-and-the-new-black-activist-athlete-the-one-who-says-no-501675
Luan Peszek. (2019). Simone Biles | Biography, Medals, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Simone-Biles
Simone Biles embodies both the aspirations and struggles of Black America. (2021, July 28). PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/simone-biles-embodies-both-the-aspirations-and-struggles-of-black-america
Simone Biles: “I blame the system that enabled Larry Nassar abuse.” (2021, September 15). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58573887
