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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).
| The term “Colorblindness” refers to the means of believing that discrimination will disappear when people treat everyone equally without the consideration of race or gender differences, emphazizing how this viewpoint fails to recognize existing systemic inequalities. Furthermore, colorblindness continues to support racism and gender discrimination by failing to acknowledge their existence. It is important to understand race and gender as a whole as it is crucial for addressing the distinct difficulties that marginalized groups encounter. Additionally, social justice advocates focus on recognizing and confronting racial and gender-based influences that generate inequality instead of disregarding differences.
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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.
| When it comes to considering this question, it is made evident that society as a whole tends to credit black athletes with innate talents but acknowledges white athletes for their hard work and smart thinking. This narrative ignores the diligent effort Black athletes put into their sports due to the presence of racial stereotypes. People commonly attribute Usain Bolt’s achievements to his Jamaican background instead of his dedicated training. As a female athlete, my sporting abilities were never associated with race due to my skin colour being white, which lets athletes be judged as individuals in a way, unlike Black athletes who face racial generalizations. |
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 identify multiple essential strategies to combat misogynoir which include self-representation and community building as well as social media advocacy and self-care. Black women utilize ICTs, including social media to reclaim their identities and combat damaging stereotypes through self-representation. Through direct opposition to racist and sexist narratives, Black women achieve empowerment, as Naomi Osaka demonstrated when she utilized humor to reverse power dynamics and demand an apology after racist jokes were made about her.
Community building remains a critical strategy as it creates unity among Black women by providing them spaces to exchange stories and support one another while developing joint strategies to fight systemic oppression. The formation of these networks enables Black women to strengthen their voices so that their issues receive attention and solutions. Another strategy used was through social media advocacy, which empowered individuals to combat misogyny by publicly exposing discrimination and holding institutions accountable for their actions. For Black women and allies to call out online discriminatory actions helps build supportive audiences who fight damaging stories and push organizations toward substantial improvements. Furthermore, Rajack and Joseph emphasize that self-care functions as an essential resistance strategy. The continuous struggle against injustice drains people mentally and emotionally, which means Black women must focus on their own health and wellness. By practicing self-care, Black women can recover their strength and sustain their activist work without experiencing burnout. Therefore, these strategies enable Black women to fight against misogynoir while building strong bonds of solidarity and accountability among themselves. Critical Race Theory and Sport Screenshots:
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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.
In terms of this question, I do believe that athletes play a distinct societal role through which they gain/have substantial visibility and influence over the general public. When determining whether athletes should use their platforms for social change, this inquiry involves a complicated discussion. Many people believe athletes ought to concentrate exclusively on athletic performance while staying out of political debates due to the way they view sports as a domain and how they should avoid controversy. Fans primarily view sports as entertainment rather than activism, which leads some people to believe that athletes who speak out risk losing their audience support.
Athletes, in my opinion, have the ability to create a voice for themselves, regardless if they choose to use it or not. Throughout history, athletes have demonstrated their importance in driving social movements by leveraging their influence to instigate societal change. Athletes, in a way, are like famous singers, well-known actors, etc, as they have a specific targeted audience that follows them through their sports journey, in which have the ability to use their platforms for raising awareness on lesser-known issues, including mental health. Perfect examples of this include Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, famous women athletes who have shared their personal challenges with mental health publicly to help reduce the stigma that surrounds mental well-being in professional sports settings. Through their mental health advocacy, athletes have motivated others to seek support and have affected athlete wellness policy changes.
Although, with this understanding, I consider activism to be a matter of personal choice instead of a mandatory requirement. Some athletes might lack the confidence or understanding needed to address social concerns, but those who choose to engage can create powerful changes that not many without the public eye can do. Athletes who use their influence to promote positive societal change become inspirational figures that encourage others to act and defy traditional norms.
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 propose an agenda for sports media to transition from personal resilience stories to covering systemic inequalities and activist efforts. Journalism needs to focus on broader systemic issues such as racial justice and labor rights rather than depicting female athletes merely as individuals who triumph over personal difficulties. Media can contest established gender norms when they analyze power structures critically instead of supporting them through empowerment stories. This perspective enables recognition of female athletes as agents of social and political change in sports rather than just tokenized symbols celebrated for their presence in male-dominated arenas. |
C) Corporate social justice
Exercise 6: Padlet Poll
| In correlation to my padlet post, the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) receives major reinforcement through the influence of sports leagues. Athlete activism receives varying support from the NFL and NBA, which aligns with their distinct approaches towards public discourse influence. The NBA demonstrated steadfast support for BLM through multiple initiatives, including jersey promotions, kneeling protests, and social justice activities. Whereas, the NFL first rejected athlete activism; however, they changed its position due to extensive protests and a major influence being Colin Kaepernick.
The power that the NFL and NBA have in supporting and promoting this movement positions them to help shape cultural norms through their support or rejection of social justice movements. In a way, it would be hypocritical for sports organizations such as those mentioned to benefit from athletes’ talent and activism while disregarding social issues as their athletes’ platforms are intrinsically connected to these struggles. Sports leagues can generate essential discussions and drive policy change while setting a standard for international fans and organizations through active participation. Sports organizations need to fulfill their responsibility by actively endorsing movements similar to BLM. Through their platform, sports organizations can inspire meaningful change while promoting essential discourse and acting as societal role models. Their past involvement in activism demonstrates why sports organizations need to maintain their support for social justice causes. |
Section Three: Taking a shot
Module Assignment (submit as part of notebook and separately through Blackboard mini assignment #1 portal)
For this mini-assignment, the athlete I have chosen is Serena Williams, as she embodies what it means to be both a female athlete and activist. The HBO documentary Being Serena features her professional achievements and personal experiences to showcase her challenges as a Black woman in a predominantly white sport (Davidson, 2018) while exploring her advocacy efforts. The documentary examines how Serena Williams leveraged her public standing to fight against racial discrimination and gender bias in the world of professional tennis. The documentary also highlights that William’s drive to change a narrative not only showcases her advocacy against unfair treatment but also the bias Black female athletes face every day (Davidson, 2018). Serena Williams integrates her activism into her professional tennis career, especially when confronting inequality, like during her controversial match with Naomi Osaka at the 2018 U.S. Open final.
Williams uses multiple methods to combat injustice, including direct confrontation as well as media interaction and personal storytelling. The 2018 U.S. Open final match between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka stands out as a pivotal moment both for her personal journey and her career, as she confronted umpire Carlos Ramos about what she believed to be unjust treatment (Bou-Franch, 2022). Williams articulated that she was unfairly targeted due to her gender and raised questions about why other male players who displayed similar behaviors were not penalized (Bou-Franch, 2022). Williams remains steadfast in her opposition to systemic sport bias and fights for equal treatment for female athletes.
An article written by Sabrina Rajack and Janelle Joseph explores misogynoir in sports media through their examination of the dual racialized and gendered discrimination Black female athletes encounter (Razack & Joseph, 2021), as demonstrated by the treatment of Williams and Osaka after the U.S. Open final. The media attacked Williams by depicting her outburst as aggressive and unprofessional, while Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese decent, was presented as a passive victim (Prasad, 2018). According to Rajack and Joseph (2021), they state how Black women in sports face a paradoxical experience of being both highly visible yet neglected, which was demonstrated when Williams’ behavior received intense criticism and her racialized mistreatment was overlooked.
Furthermore, the portrayal of Williams in Being Serena fits with Cooky and Antunovic’s analysis of how media representations tend to diminish the legitimacy of female athlete activism (Cooky & Antunovic, 2020). The media often portrays Williams’ efforts for gender and racial equality as hostile behavior (BLANK), which strengthens the stereotype of Black women as excessively emotional or confrontational. Media sources celebrate white athletes such as Osaka and Michael Phelps for demonstrating strength when they focus on their health.
Therefore, it is through Williams’ experiences that illustrate how sports serve dual purposes for platforms by challenging norms as well as enforcing them. Sports media has demonstrated racial and gendered biases by how it portrayed Williams and Osaka in the 2018 U.S. Open final. It is through her activism that Williams challenges audiences to explore the treatment of Black women in sports while revealing that their challenges reach beyond athletic competition. Williams also challenges traditional athletic norms by rejecting silence and compliance to redefine athlete identity and demonstrate that sports represent both competition and justice advocacy.
References:
Bou-Franch, P. (2022). Morality, aggression, and social activism in a transmedia sports controversy. Language & Communication, 84, 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2022.02.001
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
Davidson, K. A. (2018, April 30). “being Serena” captures vulnerability, strength of Serena Williams. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/story/_/id/23367944/being-serena-captures-vulnerability-strength-serena-williams
Prasad, R. (2018, September 11). Serena Williams and the trope of the “angry Black Woman.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45476500
Rajack, S., & Joseph, J. (2021). Misogynoir in women’s sport media: Race, nation, and diaspora in the representation of Naomi Osaka. Media, Culture & Society, 43(2), 291–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720960919
