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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).
| Colourblindness is an interesting concept because it has come up recently with in the Trump lexicon. He declares himself to be colourblind. And that is a problem. People who declare themselves colourblind would like us to believe that they do not “see” colour, colour doesn’t matter to them, everyone is equal no matter their colour. The problem with that statement is that colour does matter; when we pretend it does not matter, that’s where we find systemic racism. We can not ignore colour because in doing that we are denying the existence of racism and its impact. When it comes to Trump, it is undeniable that he is not colourblind. He does see colour and he uses colour to discriminate and incite otherness and hate, rather than using it to work towards equality.
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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.
| We want to be able to lump people together, to see them all as one. It helps us feel more comfortable with the “other”. In my own experience with disability, I have noticed the same attempt to paint everyone with the same brush. It helps explain away why we are being defeated by people we think should not be in the position to win. So, we explain away the winning Black athletes by brushing it off as a genetic thing.
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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?
| Rajack and Joseph recommend pushing back by using platforms that exist outside of the mainstream. Naomi Osaka, for example, has found a way to use social media to reclaim her Black heritage. She isn’t afraid to push back when she is portrayed as Asian alone. The power of social media must be recognized. It has been used to incite revolution in countries; it can be used to incite revolution among an athlete’s followers. In the case of Naomi Osaka, many of those followers will be young women and they hold a lot of purchasing power, particularly with her sponsors. Rajack and Joseph note that individual social media posts by athletes are more likely to challenge stereotypes than other forms of media. Mainstream media chooses its own narrative, regardless of what the reality is.
Of the many disturbing stories told in this article, one that stands out for me is the portrayal of Serena Williams in the cartoon in the Australian newspaper, as the angry Black woman, and portrayed with exaggerated racial physical stereotypes, alongside the whitewashing of Naomi Osaka. With this type of racism in mainstream media, we need to be looking elsewhere to hear the stories of Black women athletes. They have important stories to tell and we need to hear them. We need to stop supporting media outlets that continue to make them invisible. At the same time, we need to be aware of the dangers of social media platforms which are predominantly male controlled, and which are increasingly allowing racist, sexist, misogynistic trolls to run freely. This behaviour is becoming increasingly more acceptable as the controls are more and more loosened.
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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 believe athletes have a significant responsibility to use their voices as a platform for social change, but what they have to say is not always something that is going to bring social change. They hold a position of power and influence over youth in particular. Sometimes I wish they didn’t have that much influence because sometimes they say and do things that perpetuate the status quo. Not all athletes speak in favour of social justice and social change. Let’s be honest, there are many racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. athletes. They are not immune; they are a microcosm of society. However, those powerful athletes, such as LeBron James, such as Colin Kaepernick, who have chosen to speak out, have every right to do so. And the corporations who use them as spokespeople should be standing behind them and supporting them. They are bringing in the money; they should be respected for who they are. Athletes are not just the people who play the game; they are role models. We want them to be positive role models. The concern with them speaking out is fear, fear that they are going to draw attention to the injustices of the powerful, and athletes hold more sway with their fans than, say, politicians who might wish them to be quiet.
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.)
| If we want to change the narrative, we must look to different forms of media. We must look outside mainstream sports journalism and not get stuck on what they think is important. We need to begin to recognize and listen to alternative media sources, such as social media, and not worry so much about the credentials of the journalist. Perhaps they don’t have years of experience reporting on a sport, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have something useful to say. We need to look at the alternative forms of media that are not wholly influenced by their advertisers.
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C) Corporate social justice
Exercise 6: Padlet Poll
| In favour: I agree that sports leagues do bear a responsibility to support movements like BLM. Not only is it a show of support for their own athletes; it is a show of support for the people who support the leagues. The influence of the individual athletes is significant, but the leagues present a collective response, rather than limiting it to individuals here and there. Sports leagues carry significant influence due to their control of mainstream media –they offer a platform that is not available in any other way. When millions of people tune in to watch a single game, the messages that are shared are crucial. WNBA players working as a collective to support BLM is important and the pushback on the league for punishing the players and teams with fines shows what can happen if a league is also willing to take a stance. Unfortunately, a lot comes down to money and the impact on revenue for teams and leagues. Removing all reference to anti-racism in this year’s Superbowl is an excellent example. As the article says, the NFL fanbase is less diverse than the fanbase in the NBA. Removing the anti-racism message speaks loud and clear. It does matter what sports leagues say and do, and they do bear responsibility. It is sad that we are already seeing leagues start to back down from taking social responsibility. In fear, I believe.
Response: I understand your thinking in disagreeing with the concept of sports leagues bearing that responsibility. You are right, how do they represent all players in taking a stance? I only want them to take a stance if it is what I believe is the RIGHT side. But, I can’t get away from the belief that anti-racism is the RIGHT side and LGBTQ+ rights are the RIGHT side. I’m not sure the millionaires who own the teams would stand on the same side of social justice as their athletes.
Response: I agree, leagues CAN work actively toward changing the system, and they should. But they have to be willing to take that first step. Basketball seems more willing to do that than other sports, soccer perhaps being a second to that. The decision of MLB and the NHL to not make any kind of statement, to remain neutral, is disappointing to say the least, but at the same time, shows no support in reality. And since the writing of that article, the NHL has certainly demonstrated its stance with respect to Pride events. |
Section Three: Taking a shot
Module Assignment (submit as part of notebook and separately through Blackboard mini assignment #1 portal)
Shropshire (2021), shares some important numbers with respect to the National Football League that speak to the challenges Colin Kaepernick faced as a young Black player trying to break into the ranks as a quarterback. There are only three African-American head coaches in the NFL (Shropshire, 2021). Kaepernick’s miniseries, Colin in Black and White (2021), shows the same trend in college football. While Kaepernick was trying to break in, coaches wanted white quarterbacks. Kaepernick is overlooked by his high school coach, despite excelling on the field. The coach’s comment about him having lots of natural talent is a microaggression often used towards Black athletes, one that fails to recognize the hard work and intelligence that also goes into creating a elite athlete. Kaepernick’s narrative introduces the audience to a multitude of microaggressions faced by his younger self, as he finds himself isolated from the white privilege of his family, from his mother calling him a thug because of his braids, to her pushing him to date a white girl while hiding the picture of him with a Black girl. Kaepernick’s awareness of the racism he faces grows as the story unfolds. Ultimately, Kaepernick tells his younger self to embrace his power, which he does as an adult, taking the knee to protest the killing of Blacks. Shropshire (2021), sees this as the way to enact change, by using the power, by taking a stand against racism, by speaking out and showing leadership. Kaepernick broke into the NFL and found a way to use his personal power to have his voice heard, although not welcomed by the majority white fan base (Khabbaz, 2021). Despite being punished and not being welcomed back into the NFL, he has continued to use that voice in a different venue to try to bring change.
