3rd Annual Passing the Ball: Race and Sports Conference

Posted by Temple University on April 6, 2015

The 3rd Annual Passing the Ball: Race and Sports Conference will take place Saturday, April 18th at Temple University’s main campus. The conference is being coordinated by its founder and creator, Drew Brown, and the Organization of African American Studies Graduate Students.

“The goal of the conference is to educate and enlighten attendees to the prevalent racial issues that exist in sports by critically examining and discussing the issues that race and sports pose,” said Brown. “Through the conference we are aiming to develop ways to eliminate racial discrimination and enhance racial equality not only in sports but also the broader society.”

The 1-day event will feature some of the most dynamic athletes, sports activists, journalists and scholars from all across the country. Confirmed participants include: Ben Carrington, Professor of Sociology from University of Texas at Austin; Theresa Runstedtler, noted author of Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner; and Scholar-Activist and organizer of T.U.F.F. Girls Leadership program, Mari Morales-Williams.

The featured guest speaker will be Etan Thomas, who played in the NBA for 9 seasons and is the author of Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge. Huffington Post calls him “More than an athlete…a rebounder with a cause.”

The daylong event will include panel discussions and paper presentations on contemporary racial issues in sports including: social media’s influence on the image of athletes of color; academic underachievement of student-athletes; the role of athletes in American society; women athletes of color; and the post-sports life of athletes. Authors will be available for book signing.

The conference is being produced in partnership with Temple University’s Department of Africology and Africana Studies, the Department of History, the Sociology Department, the Blockson Collection, Student Activities, and the Political Science Department.

For more information on registering for the Passing The Ball: Race and Sports Conference, visit http://www.ptbconference.com.