We can’t just shut up and play: How the NBA and WNBA are helping dismantle systemic racism

Thomas, M. Blair; Wright, James E.

doi:10.1080/10841806.2021.1918988

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The Washington D.C. NFL football team dropped the word “redskins” from the name of the team. To end the 2020 season, the National Basketball Association played games in a secure “bubble” and the opening television shot of the court showed the statement “Black Lives Matter” in large lettering across the full length of the basketball court (Thomas & Wright, 2021). The Women’s National Basketball Association also made certain signage for the BLM that was on prominent display (Bagley & Liao, 2021).…”

Section: Blm Social Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On Friday, September 3, 2020, the billionaire, Michael Bloomberg, announced a 100-million-dollar contribution to be distributed among the four historically Black medical schools (Merced & Sorkin, 2020). Finally, kneeling at the opening of sports events, as a gesture of solidarity with the BLM movement, and which cost Colin Kaepernick his career in the NFL, is now deemed acceptable behavior in the NBA, WNBA, and NFL (Thomas & Wright, 2021).…”

Section: Blm Social Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Black Lives Matter and Nigrescence Theory: When Police Violence Triggers an Encounter

Cross

Neville

Austin

et al. 2022

Journal of Black Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a social movement. The video recording of the death of George Floyd represented a collective Encounter that spread across the United States and the globe via various social media platforms with startling immediacy. In this manuscript, the authors apply Nigrescence theory to the BLM protests of 2020. We argue that Nigrescence theory provides a framework to understand catalysts to individual and collective activism and the progression of a social movement. In the current analysis, Immersion-Emersion is demonstrated citing the types of social and organizational changes initiated by groups, companies, and institutions. The movement is ongoing; thus, evidence of Internalization as well as Internalization-Commitment is missing. However, published objectives make clear the movement’s vision and commitments. Although it centers race, when combined with the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, BLM has uncovered the need for change related to social class as well as race and an immediate challenge for the BLM leadership is their ability to address this intersectional phenomenon.

show abstract

Section: Blm Social Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Blm Social Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Lives Matter and Nigrescence Theory: When Police Violence Triggers an Encounter

Cross

Neville

Austin

et al. 2022

Journal of Black Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Likely nowhere in contemporary sports is activism as pervasive and intense as it is in the WNBA (see, for example, Thomas & Wright, 2021;Lens, 2021). In 2020 alone, players shut the league down for 2 days to stand in solidarity with the Blacks Lives Matter movement.…”

Section: Sports and Politics And Racementioning

confidence: 99%

Who Says Shut Up and Dribble? Race and the Response to Athletes’ Political Activism

Niven

2021

J Afr Am St

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In response to a political comment from NBA superstar LeBron James, a Fox News commentator suggested he "shut up and dribble." James and many others considered the comment racist. Defenders suggested the comment was driven by political ideology rather than race. Interestingly, both perspectives could find support in existing research, as some studies depict race as a central factor in responses to political athletes, while other studies dismiss the role of race and find that political ideology and nationalistic sentiments drive how people see activist athletes. Using responses to a large national survey asking whether respondents find athlete political activism "acceptable," here I find strong evidence that both ideology and race shape attitudes on the subject. The picture that emerges reveals that party and ideology matter, but even after controlling for them, the race and racial views of the respondent help shape their perspective on political athletes. Establishing the importance of race and racial views here helps illuminate why the intersection of sports and politics generates such fierce responses including unvarnished vitriol from some political figures.

show abstract

“…athletes hold beliefs about how they themselves should act, including their right to engage in civic and political activity 5 . These actions pierce the reality some fans may construct about how athletes should stay out of the administrative state.Athletes have successfully punctuated and subsequently reconstructed reality in part by scaling their efforts by partnering with organizations and social movements in broader decision making, The WNBA and the NBA are leading examples of these activities Thomas & Wright (2021). provide an extensive discussion that highlights how athletes mobilized league support to ally with individuals and organizations such as BLM to address systemic inequities exacerbated by Covid-19 and unjust police actions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The American administrative state has faced extraordinary challenges over the past two years, many of which highlight profound disparities (Chatters et al, 2021; Vilda et al, 2021; Yearby, 2021) stemming from state ineptitude in a time of turmoil and government distrust. The May 2020 murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd at the hands of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin ignited domestic discussion systemic racism and White nationalism (Thomas & Wright, 2021; Wright & Thomas, 2022). Floyd’s death coupled with an overwhelming swell of support for Black Lives Matter (BLM, hereafter) generated the largest protests in the nation’s history in July 2020 (Buchanan et al, 2020), with current and former Black athletes among the forefront (Thomas & Wright, 2021; Wright & Thomas, 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Playing Offense: How Athletes are Impacting a Changing Administrative State

Thomas

Daniel

2022

Administration & Society

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The start of the 2020s presents a broken American administrative system plagued by state ineptitude in a time of turmoil and government distrust. In their protests, marginalized citizens have seen their voices amplified by integral parts of their communities for whom they have cheered: Athletes. This Perspective draws attention to the idea of super citizens and their ability to influence policy. We argue that Black athlete activism that centers their social reality and legitimizes Black Lives Matter for broader populations is one example of a punctuated equilibrium that work to achieve administrative state change.

show abstract

We can’t just shut up and play: How the NBA and WNBA are helping dismantle systemic racism

Cited by 17 publications

References 32 publications

Black Lives Matter and Nigrescence Theory: When Police Violence Triggers an Encounter

Black Lives Matter and Nigrescence Theory: When Police Violence Triggers an Encounter

Who Says Shut Up and Dribble? Race and the Response to Athletes’ Political Activism

Playing Offense: How Athletes are Impacting a Changing Administrative State

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About