Beyond the Mat: Centering Black Girls Literacy Experiences in Gymnastics Using Sista Circles

• In Event: Race, Gender, Sport, and Education

Abstract

Sports have been characterized as the "great equalizer" where athletes advance to new levels based on their technical skill and merit. This stance assumes that all athletes are judged equally. Yet, Black girls constantly resist hegemonic notions about their reality as they try to express themselves authentically in sports spaces. Therefore, I seek to expand the literacies of Black girls considering how they make meaning and navigate their intersectional identities and experiences within predominantly white sports like gymnastics. (Re) imagining Black girls in sport, this project situates their experiences, illustrated through art, performance, writing, discussions, and community. This project hopes to amplify the importance of creating spaces for Black girls’ multiple identities through sport as a resource for meaningful change.

Author

• Tamara N. Moten, University of Georgia
  Presenting Author