2022 Annual Convention of the North American Society for Sport History
May 27-30, 2022 | In-Person & Virtual via HopIn
The purpose of the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) is to promote, stimulate, and encourage the study of the history of sport; to support, stimulate and encourage scholarly writing and research related to the history of sport; and to cooperate with local, national, and international organizations having the same purpose.
Legitimized, marginalized and politicized: Narratives of Black women in professional coaching
Day 2 | Presented by Amanda Schweinbenz1, Akilah R Carter-Francique2, Algerian Hart3
1Laurentian University, Canada; 2San Jose State University, USA; 3Missouri State University, USA
In 2021, Dawn Staley became the highest-paid Black head coach in NCAA Women’s Basketball. This historic moment signaled a move towards gender equality, yet, many wondered what took so long as Staley’s coaching resume far exceeds that of her peers. Like many other female coaches, Staley had to be significantly better than her white male peers in order to be considered equal. The introduction of Title IX, meant that more money was directed to women's sport but it also meant that White male athletic directors looked to other White men to lead and coach these women's teams. Female coaches were not considered to have the same expertise despite their years of coaching experiences. Additionally, the intersectionality of race and gender and Black female coaches were further subjugated.
Throughout history there have been a limited number of Black female coaches who have successfully navigated the challenges of sexism, prejudice, discrimination and racism to acquire NCAA coaching positions. However, even after these women were hired, they faced the task of continuously proving their abilities to administrators. We will examine the history of Black female coaches in the NCAA and the ways in which these women have been marginalized and “Othered”. We focus on the intersectionality of race, class and gender as means to oppress Black female coaches and how homogeneous reproduction has and continues to lead to further marginalization. Finally, we will present a path forward through discussion with the audience. Fighting these systems of oppression happens through dialogue and engagement with people who want to be part of the change.