Black Collegiate Athletes and the Neoliberal State

This study examines sociocultural productions of power, knowledge, identity, and resistance through the lens of race in collegiate athletics. The author argues that neoliberal structures have reimagined and reconstructed athletes’ lived experiences and have perpetuated racial inequality through collegiate sport.

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This study analyzes sociocultural productions of power, knowledge, identity, and resistance through the lens of race in collegiate athletics. Drawing on research at multiple institutions, the author examines the lived experiences of current black student athletes pursuing their education and competing for elite NCAA Division 1 athletic departments. The author situates the experiences of black athletes within the complexities of the American dream, arguing that neoliberal beliefs and practices have perpetuated racial inequality through the system of collegiate sport.