What Mr. Costello Is Reading Right Now: "Dear Black Athlete"
Hi MTW!
It's Black History Month!
ESPN and "The Undefeated" air "Dear Black Athlete" this month. "The Undefeated" is a corner of ESPN's franchise which is specifically designed "for exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture. [They] enlighten and entertain with innovative storytelling, original reporting and provocative commentary." The show is a combination of different panel discussions, and letters from athletes, that address different issues that affect the black community.
Halfway through the program, embattled ESPN personality Jemele Hill responds to a question about the measure of responsibility that the black community has to facilitate a social change. Her response was that black people have a lot of experience talking about race, and she acknowledged that almost the entire live audience of the program was black, and very interested in the topics being discussed. Then she asked, "Where are the white people?" The message was clear: white allies are essential for any kind of positive social change, and it starts with listening. There are so many examples in contemporary sports culture that would prove this to be true. Earlier on MTW, I shared an article on Jaylen Brown's experience as a black athlete and in the NBA, and growing up realizing that black athletes are treated differently than white athletes.
There is a prideful athletic tradition at Frontier, and it is no secret that the majority of the student body and student athletes are white. We all know sports at its best can be a leveling mechanism for athletes to be judged for their merits in skill or athleticism, but at its worst it can be about exclusion, fear, intimidation, bias, stress. "Dear Black Athlete" was a nice reminder for me, as a teacher and coach, and a white cis male, to keep my eyes and ears open to what all my students and athletes are dealing with on a micro and macro scale.
I strongly recommend "The Undefeated" for young athletes for some enlightening reading. How does your experience playing sports impact your identity as a person? Have you ever become aware of social intersections as an athlete that have made you question the role of sports in your life?
--C
It's Black History Month!
ESPN and "The Undefeated" air "Dear Black Athlete" this month. "The Undefeated" is a corner of ESPN's franchise which is specifically designed "for exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture. [They] enlighten and entertain with innovative storytelling, original reporting and provocative commentary." The show is a combination of different panel discussions, and letters from athletes, that address different issues that affect the black community.
Halfway through the program, embattled ESPN personality Jemele Hill responds to a question about the measure of responsibility that the black community has to facilitate a social change. Her response was that black people have a lot of experience talking about race, and she acknowledged that almost the entire live audience of the program was black, and very interested in the topics being discussed. Then she asked, "Where are the white people?" The message was clear: white allies are essential for any kind of positive social change, and it starts with listening. There are so many examples in contemporary sports culture that would prove this to be true. Earlier on MTW, I shared an article on Jaylen Brown's experience as a black athlete and in the NBA, and growing up realizing that black athletes are treated differently than white athletes.
There is a prideful athletic tradition at Frontier, and it is no secret that the majority of the student body and student athletes are white. We all know sports at its best can be a leveling mechanism for athletes to be judged for their merits in skill or athleticism, but at its worst it can be about exclusion, fear, intimidation, bias, stress. "Dear Black Athlete" was a nice reminder for me, as a teacher and coach, and a white cis male, to keep my eyes and ears open to what all my students and athletes are dealing with on a micro and macro scale.
I strongly recommend "The Undefeated" for young athletes for some enlightening reading. How does your experience playing sports impact your identity as a person? Have you ever become aware of social intersections as an athlete that have made you question the role of sports in your life?
--C
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