By Olivia H.

Racism is prominent in the athletic world. Many fans will do anything to show pride in their country, even through racist actions . George Orwell explains how fans use boos and insults to make sure one side is “humiliated,” (23). Claudia Rankine explains how these players are supposed to be “good” during racist attacks and humiliation (25). These players are held to higher standards than white athletes and face more scrutiny. Many believe racism in sports reflects racism in society. In 2018, a scandal broke out surrounding the Windrush generation in England and Socialist Lawyer, a legal organization in the UK, explains that the “anti-immigration” rhetoric and discriminatory aspects of the “1971 Immigration Act,” were exposed (Socialist Lawyer 2). These people face discrimination yet are considered valuable to society, like Black footballers in the Premier League. Jonathan Liew, sports writer for The Guardian, shows arrests for racist chanting increased by 150% in 2020 (2). Naz Ali, Course Leader in Sports Management, states 43% of footballers faced racial abuse on Twitter last July (3). What is the most effective way to address racism towards Black footballers in the Premier League? To understand the complexity of this topic, it is important to look at it from a historical lens, the view of commentators and fans, and the view of Black players. Through exploration it will become clear that the organization Kick It Out is most effective because it tackles social media issues, addresses legal issues, and solves performative activism.

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By Kat D

Throughout many athletic organizations there is a major sexual harassment issue.
Theodore Roosevelt states that “that character counts for a great deal more than either intellect or
body in winning success in life” ( Roosevelt 1). Many coaches let sports get in the way of their
character. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka states the claim that “in the past, athletes, coaches and
officials have turned a blind eye to sexual harassment” ( Mlambo- Ngcuka 2), in performance
sports specifically. Performance sports is used to describe sports where the “games” are
performances, for example Dance, Gymnastics and Cheer. Johnathon Halbeslesben, PhD in
workplace contentment studied that 44% of female employees experiences sexual harassment.
However only 6% formally reported the behavior. Vivian Krauchek, head coach at the University
of Calgary claims that 20% identified sexual harassment, 54% had experienced, but many of
these women refused to speak out. Finally Chanel DaSilva, professional Dancer for the Harvard
Dance Project states that “countless cases of sexual misconduct survivors being ignored,
dismissed, punished for speaking up” ( Dasilva 1). So what is the best way to address sexual
harassment in performance sports? To understand the complexity of this topic it is important to
study it from the view of coaches and athletes and a socio/cultural lens. Through this exploration
it will become clear that a “zero tolerance” policy is the most effective solution because it ​addresses the imbalance in dominance leading to harassment, holds the perpetrator accountable and provides protection for the whole institution.

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