“Aren't you here to help me?”: Examining the role of identity as Black women athletes navigate relationships and create community at predominantly White institutions.

Abstract

For Black women college athletes, the intersections of race and gender influence how they navigate predominantly white and male environments within intercollegiate athletics. Because college athletes spend a significant amount of time interacting and engaging with individuals in athletic settings, it stands to reason that their identities inform the different relationships they hold within athletic spaces. This article provides an in-depth exploration of Black women college athletes’ relationships within athletic environments and how they form community at predominantly white institutions. The findings reveal the role of race in Black women college athletes’ relationships with coaches, teammates, advisors, and each other. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings on cross-racial relationship development, inclusion and community building, and student–athlete development.

“All the Makings of an Eventual NFL Starter:” Racial/Ethnic Disparities in a Decade of National Football League Draft Profiles as Revealed by Natural Language Processing

“…This is a potentially powerful finding that deserves to be underscored, one that is most likely connected to perceived belonging. Prior evidence suggests Black student-athletes struggle with their sense of belonging in university settings compared to students of other races/ethnicities (Carter-Francique, 2018; Harper, 2018; Ofoegbu, 2023). An unjust stereotype suggests that people often see student-athletes of color for their athletic achievements and they otherwise do not take their academic experiences seriously (Cooper & Newton, 2021; Engstrom & Sedlacek, 1991; Melendez, 2008).…”