This lecture will focus on how Black athletes have historically used their platforms to create social and political change. There is not a homogenous expression of discontent or activism among professional athletes, as evidenced by the diversity of responses they have undertaken over the past many decades. And while athletes regardless of race have engaged in a range of actions to protest racism, Black athletes have occupied a particularly visible space in the struggle for equality.
This moment in our history has become one that has allowed Black professional athletes to reconcile the complexity of identities that have rendered them both the receivers of racism and lauded public figures. Join me as we explore how Black athletes, then and now, have worked to use their platforms to call attention to structural inequality and racial injustice in an effort to create a more inclusive democracy.
About Dr. Terry Anne Scott:
Dr. Terry Anne Scott is an award-winning historian, author, and speaker. She left her position as an associate professor of American history and Chair of the Department of History at Hood College in Maryland to become the Director of the Institute for Common Power. During her tenure at Hood College, Dr. Scott received numerous awards, including the college’s highest commendation for professors—the Excellence in Teaching Award.
Dr. Scott’s research interests focus largely on urban history, the intersection of sports and race, African American social and cultural history, and political and social movements. She is the author of several books, including Lynching and Leisure: Race and the Transformation of Mob Violence in Texas, winner of the 2022 Ottis Lock Endowment Best Book Award, and the editor of Seattle Sports: Play, Identity, and Pursuit in the Emerald City.