Black Student-Athletes and racism pandemic: Building antiracist practices in athletics

Abstract

The year 2020 was filled with injustices, fear, and uncertainty that has disproportionately affected Black communities in the United States and abroad. From the unprecedented number of deaths inflicted by COVID-19, specifically on minority groups, to the horrific murders of Black citizens by those in positions of authority and power, the world was once again reminded that racism is still alive. Black student-athletes are among those enduring trauma that has been consistent over centuries and are contending with the chronic nature of systemic racism as it pertains to being a Black athlete within the world of athletics and their respective schools. Through grounded theory, researchers captured the lived experiences of 14 Black student-athletes through qualitative interviews to ensure that sports psychology practitioners and researchers are equipped with the correct resources, knowledge, and skills, to aid in the healing of Black student-athletes although also advocating for expedited social reform and representation within the realm of education, law enforcement, politics, and mental health services. Five key domains emerged from this study including Identity Development, Perception and Expectations, Mental Health, Privilege, and Systems. The authors offer best practices within each domain in an effort to develop anti-racist practices to be implemented within athletic institutions and beyond.

 Lay summary: Black student-athletes are faced with systemic racism within all the worlds they live in, and as it pertains to being an athlete of color within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Black student-athletes are also coping with major life stressors and, as such, this paper gathered the lived experiences of student-athletes identifying as Black and explored how they experienced support during their tenure as student-athletes in an attempt to establish anti-racist and supportive practices within athletic communities.

Implications for practice

• Develop strategies for athletes to understand and evaluate their identity.

• Integrate anti-racist practices into large systems including implicit bias training, undoing racism, and privilege education.

• Create tools and visuals for athletes of color, illustrating the institution’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.