“Eight Pounds of Air”: Centering Democracy and Civic Engagement Through Sport in Social Studies

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Civic Spaces: Seen, Unseen, and Waiting To Be Seen

Abstract

This study explores how Black teacher-coaches (BTCs) in the southeastern U.S. integrate the cultural sensibilities of sports into social studies instruction to foster Black students’ understanding of democracy and civic engagement. Grounded in Culturally and Historically Responsive Education (CHRE), the research draws on in-depth interviews with four BTCs and uses Black storytelling as a qualitative method. Findings reveal that sports serve as culturally relevant pathways for teaching civic values, building criticality, and connecting shared struggle with democratic participation. Through thematic analysis, the study highlights how BTCs leverage students’ cultural identities to promote informed citizenship. These insights contribute to reimagining civic education as inclusive, culturally sustaining, and essential to empowering Black youth as active democratic participants.

Author

• Alex E. Chisholm, Clemson University