The Sport Justice Movement with Dr. Shaun Anderson (Episode 38)

This week Shaunna is joined by special guest Dr. Shaun Anderson. Dr. Anderson is an associate professor of organizational communications and author of the forthcoming book Shut Up and Dribble: The Black Athlete Revolt in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter. He reminds us that sport and politics have always been mixed; athletes have long used their public platforms to call out social injustice. The difference now however is that, through social media and other outlets, athletes can control the way that they are engaging in the narratives around social injustice. The next step for all of us in the sporting community, is to begin to use these platforms to push towards engaging in true policy reform. It is not an easy fight; we are pushing against a systematic regime that has been in power for ages, but by educating ourselves, building a platform and speaking out, we can begin to make positive changes in sport and society.

As part of the endurance sport community, if you listen to our podcast, we have a firm stance. We agree with Dr. Anderson, sport and activism are inextricably linked. Even if you are silent, inactive, and oblivious, you are still part of a system that maintains oppression against various groups. We challenge [un]phased listeners to stay awake to such issues, speak out even if your voice shakes, and become active in small ways as you find your momentum. Use your personal platform as an age group athlete, amateur athlete, aspiring professional, or pro to have these conversations about social injustice. This is even more important, given that the majority of those in our sport are not completely demographically in the communities that are most affected by these issues. To initiate change, we must become disruptors in the system. As co-conspirators and aspiring allies, we can (and should!) push our sporting organizations to create policies, practices, systems, and budgets that are equitable and inclusive.

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