Throughout the world and within black communities in the United States sports have offered Black people a platform to express their political views and climb up the social ladder. African American athletes have played a significant role in the struggle for desegregation and civil rights, and today, they continue to shape the contours of American society, both culturally and politically. Black athletes in the United States are disproportionately represented in football and basketball, the most popular and revenue generating sports. In many ways, this phenomenon transcends our national border, as Black athletes have a disproportionate impact in sports and society across the globe. This disproportionate impact is what the Africana Studies Sports Initiative seeks to illuminate. Indeed, what are the historical, contemporary, and global experiences of Black athletes? How can Africana Studies, a discipline rooted in the struggle of Black people globally, help Black athletes develop leadership qualities that will empower and create wealth within their communities?
The Africana Studies Sports Initiative has three important goals. First, it offers a space where graduate students and faculty members present their research in progress and/or develop new collaborative research projects on Black athletes. Second, to better understand Black athletes’ experiences across time, it aims to digitize the lives and accomplishments of Black athletes from the Western Pennsylvania region. Third, to help develop Africana-centered leadership skills, it aims to create courses, workshops, and programs focusing on the intersection of sports, race, professional development, and wealth creation. Ultimately, the Africana Studies Sports Initiative brings together student-athletes, students, members of the community, and scholars to shed light on the unique experiences of Black athletes and the ways in which they can help black communities thrive.