Black in Blue: The Duke Sports and Race Project critically studies race and sports at Duke, within its geographic placement, and beyond. This faculty-led project has three pillars, with each examining the politics and histories of intercollegiate athletics and athletes, particularly in revenue-generating sports.
Project Pillars
- Public events/podcasts with researchers, activists, former and current athletes, and coaches
- Undergraduate courses focused on race and sports
- Workshops to engage in critical and constructive dialogue about experiences, and histories of Black student-athletes
Recent Event
Pursuing Proactive Inclusivity: An Evening with C.B. Claiborne
Black in Blue: The Duke Sports and Race Project hosted an evening honoring former Duke Men’s Basketball Player C.B. Claiborne, the first Black student-athlete to attend Duke University. Now professor of Business and Marketing in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University, Claiborne holds advanced degrees in engineering and business. He earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering while at Duke.
Claiborne was joined in conversation on Feb. 22 by Martin Smith, dean of Academic Affairs in Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and a faculty member in the Program in Education. Other guests included current Duke students who have participated in United Black Athletes, UNCUT Duke: Student-Athlete Storytelling, and the Story+ Project Team “From Stephen to C.B.: Tobacco, Race & Duke Men’s Basketball.”
Listen to a conversation with Claiborne recording during that visit on the Blue Devil 360 podcast. The interview starts just after 11:00 mark.
Featured Courses
FALL 2023
Sports and Society
CULANTH 151S
This course will critically examine the role that sports play in the modern world and our everyday lives. Sports are a universe of their own, bodily practices that involve complex choreographies of movement and coordination. Yet they are also always a reflection of society... read more
FALL 2023
Race, Sport & Education:
Duke Basketball
EDUC 290-01
SUMMER 1 2023
Race, Power and Identity from Ali to Kaepernick
EDUC 220
An exploration of historic and contemporary psycho-social and socio-cultural aspects of the African American sport experience. Examination of research that addresses the effect of physical differences, racial stereotyping, identity development, gender issues and social influences ... read more
Student Projects
Emma Coleman, Isaiah Fisher-Smith, Tre Freeman, Madison Rhea, Wade Unger
Sara Rovit, Jordyn Oliver, Elijah Wroten, Malik Bowen, Hayden Rosenfeld
Jordan Castleman, Sayyid Stevens, Cam Bergeron
Katie Newton, Brooke Schmidt, Aeneas Peebles, Amir Daley, Brendan Pernecky
Meredith Hutchinson, Hannah Steven, BJ Johnson, Mir Hagans, Chloe Schaefgen
Steve Park, Trey Brown, Talia Roth, Melissa Sandoval Mullis, Clayton Finney
Carina Dagotto, Alexia Jackson, Carl Fisher, Trent Broadnax, Miguel Ramirez
Noelle Fuchs, Matthew O’Stricker, Kendall Satcowitz, Lina Sinsheimer, Amber Smith
Grissim Anderson, Andrew Danowitz, Drew Greene, Justin Pickett
Blade Clarke, Justice Hatcher, Lucas Gonzalez, Elizabeth Balogun
Sammy Cohen, Ryan Colon, Amanda Tuzzo, Amanda Padden
Alexander McMullen, Koby Cohen, Eli Baker, Brandon Lee, Jonta Robertson