Sports and Society Initiative is hosting a presentation on Black hair in athletics on Wednesday

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

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

In addition to her research and publications on the topic, Brown said her personal experiences were a driving factor in her interest in black hair. More specifically, Brown referred to a panel she attended at her previous job where she faced discrimination.

“One of the panelists – I had braids at the time – said, ‘Well, for interviews you might want to think about wearing your hair differently,’ and I said, ‘I already work here.’ . “I got my job with my natural hair,” Brown said.

Chris Knoester, sociology professor and research director at SSI, said having an expert closely connected to the topic at hand was crucial when planning the event.

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

Additionally, Brown said her talk will analyze current political issues and laws that have a tangible impact on Black people.

“In many states, it is still legal to hire and fire employees based on what hair they wear,” Brown said. “Students are thrown out of class because they have dreadlocks. Students are not allowed to play sports because they wear hijabs.”

One example Brown will address is Mya and Deanna Cook; according to a March 2022 Article According to 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 that a 16-year-old boy named Andrew Johnson was forced to cut off his dreadlocks in order to compete in a 2018 wrestling match.

This repeated discrimination led to the passage of the CROWN Act — the 2022 U.S. House bill committed to creating a respectful and open world for natural hair — which Brown said she would focus on in part of her presentation.

“Part of the value that Dr. What Dr. Brown brings to the table is not only to recognize some of the processes at play in sport and society, but also to become more concerned with eliminating these negative dynamics and mitigating the often hidden challenges that exist for us.” Black girls and women,” Knoester said.

Although raising awareness and presenting research findings are important parts of the discussion and the event is open to the general public, Brown also hopes that participants will be open to open and respectful conversations with one another.

“I want to encourage people who are interested in sports and society, particularly from a Black woman’s perspective, and who understand misogyny and anti-Blackness, that this will definitely be a worthwhile conversation,” Brown said. “So I really hope that people come and join me in this conversation.”