Black Women in Higher Education: Department of Athletics
AUTHORS: Brianna C. J. Clark-Williams, Jada Crocker, Alexis Dotson
For years, there have been significant inequalities against women in college athletics ranging from lack of access to being recruited to sexual harassment. This phenomenon has affected both college athletes and athletic administrators as well. Many Black women in leadership capacities within athletic administration have been marginalized and perceived as beneficiaries of preferential treatment. This leads us to wonder if women, specifically Black women, have an equitable place to reside within the bounds of intercollegiate athletics. While we seek this answer, examining and highlighting the institutions that continue to make spaces for Black women leaders within athletics—specifically, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is equally important. This study provides a historical analysis that centers on the importance of highlighting the stories and experiences of Black women who left their mark upon Howard University Athletics. As evident in this analysis, when these women became leaders within Howard Athletics, their stories magnified some of the historical barriers. Black women have always faced within the labor force, education, and athletics.