NASSS 2018 Conference - Vancouver

Twenty years ago, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was released on August 25, 1998. The LP was strategically named after Carter G. Woodson's provoking novel, The Mis-Education of the Negro, which expressed the cultural and educational injustices of African-Americans in the U.S. With song titles such as "Lost Ones," "Ex-Factor," and "Everything is Everything," Lauryn Hill's debut solo album captured the essence of relationships, struggles and the search for identity as a woman of color. Likewise, within sports and athletics, many women of color find themselves navigating the same: relationships (e.g. personal, coach interactions, colleagues, etc.), challenges (e.g. body image, family, opportunities, education, etc.), and discovering their identity (e.g. race, gender, athlete, etc.). Thus, using the album as a soundtrack, this session will focus on the issues surrounding women of color in sport and athletic environments regarding the navigation of relationships, management of challenges, and intersectionality of identity.