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
A Critical Study of Big-Time College Sport
Friday, November 10, 2023
Duke and UNC are premier academic institutions with (in)famous sports teams, a storied rivalry, and only a few miles separating them. This geographic proximity presents a unique opportunity for partnerships beyond the playing field. Because of the energy that annually surrounds both athletic programs and this ‘Battle of the Blues,’ faculty on both campuses were interested in coming together to analyze the dynamics that drive intercollegiate athletics.
During this symposium, we brought together a variety of speakers, including scholars, journalists, former and current athletes, and public policy practitioners, who are interested in the history, economics, and racial and gender politics of college sports. Across the four panels and a keynote, we invite you to question the role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education with us.
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
This course uses Duke's athletic history, present and future to explore how Black intelligence is recognized and/or not recognized and the value of Black athletes' intellectual capacity in college athletics over time... read more
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
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
Jordan Laster, Shelsea Duran, Guillermo Zacarias Breuer, Lily Coll, Grant Farley
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