Sports and Society Initiative to host Wednesday presentation discussing Black hair in athletics

Ohio State’s Sports and Society Initiative will host a presentation discussing research on Black hair in athletics Wednesday. 

The event — titled “Hair Matters: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Black Hair in Sport” — will be presented Wednesday from 4-5:30 p.m. in Room 360 in the Journalism Building by Letisha Brown, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati. 

Alongside her research and writing on the topic, Brown said her personal experiences are a driving factor in her interest in Black hair. More specifically, Brown referenced a panel she attended at her previous job, at which she faced discrimination. 

“One of the panelists — at the time, I had braids — was like, ‘Well, when you’re going on job interviews, you might want to consider wearing your hair differently,’ and I was like, ‘I already work here. I got my job with my natural hair,’” Brown said. 

Having an expert who is intimately connected with the issue at hand is an aspect that Chris Knoester, a professor of sociology and chair of research for SSI, said was imperative when planning the event.

“There’s a long legacy, unfortunately, of the ways in which Blackness has been criticized and unfairly scrutinized in sports and society,” Knoester said. “With her lens, Dr. Brown really brings to light some of the subtle, yet really important and meaningful ways that continue[s] to happen.”

Additionally, Brown said her presentation will analyze current political issues and legislation that have tangibly impacted Black individuals.

“It’s still legal in plenty of states to hire and fire based on the hair that you wear,” Brown said. “Students get kicked out of classes for having dreadlocks. Students aren’t allowed to play sports for wearing hijabs.”

One example Brown will touch on involves Mya and Deanna Cook; according to a March 2022 article from the Associated Press, the twin sisters were kicked off their respective sports teams after refusing to remove their box braids in 2017. Additionally, the same article states a 16-year-old boy named Andrew Johnson was forced to cut off his dreadlocks to compete in a 2018 wrestling match.

This repeated discrimination led to the passing of the CROWN Act — the 2022 U.S. House bill, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair — which Brown said she will focus a portion of her presentation on.

“Part of the value that Dr. Brown brings is not only to recognize some of the processes that are occurring in sports and society, but then to become more concerned in our efforts to eliminate those negative dynamics and mitigate the oftentimes hidden challenges that exist for Black girls and women,” Knoester said.

Though raising awareness and presenting research are important components of the discussion, with the event being open to the general public, Brown said she also hopes attendees will be receptive to having open and respectful conversations with each other.

“I would encourage people who have an interest in sport and society, especially from the perspective of a Black woman, and understanding misogynoir and anti-blackness, that this is definitely going to be a worthwhile talk,” Brown said. “So, I really hope that people come and engage in this conversation with me.”