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In February of 2022, professional women's basketball player Brittney Griner was detained in Russia on drug possession charges. Her detainment was a trending Twitter topic demonstrating the cultural, political, and social state of the United States, specifically pertaining to race, gender, nationality, and LGBTQ matters. The purpose of this study was to analyze what Brittney Griner's release from Russia tells us about social power relations and contemporary social political matters on the axis of race, gender, and sexual orientation. We organized the data to determine three distinct, yet interconnected themes: (a) Woke Politics at the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Queerness; (b) Preferential Treatment at the Expense of Whiteness Informed Patriotism; and (c) Intersectionality as Political Pandering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical race theory (CRT) is a powerful framework and methodological tool for sport scholars and practitioners to incorporate into their work. While CRT tenets vary depending on discipline, individuals utilizing the framework understand the permanence of racism and how it is institutionalized within various social structures. In honor of the 40th year of the Sociology of Sport Journal, we conducted a review of the journal to assess how CRT has been used among sport sociologists. After reflecting on the 40-year history of Sociology of Sport Journal, we argue for the continued use of CRT and CRT extensions to fulfill the maximum potential of this foundational framework to achieve its goals of emancipation, social justice, and racial equity. We conclude by discussing the future of CRT in sport sociology research and practice in a post "racial reckoning" society, specifically within the U.S. context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the evolution of social media commentary pertaining to LeBron James' activism efforts during two pivotal moments of state-enacted anti-Blackness violence. Utilizing the lens of critical race theory and critical whiteness studies, we examined user commentary pertaining to James' two Instagram posts responding to the state-enacted violence against Michael Brown in 2014 and George Floyd in 2020. While responses to LeBron's activism certainly evolved between 2014 and 2020, it is wise to be skeptical of that newly found support for James' message and the outrage toward a fundamentally racist society. Superficial rhetoric and virtue signaling are the norm, while progress toward substantive change remains stoic and still, often like the beliefs deeply etched within us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the progress of women in the sport industry has become more visible, there is still significant gender inequity. Extending the sport organizational literature, we argue that the unpaid, invisible, and emotional labor of women, especially those holding diverse social identities, is significantly contributing to gender inequity at the organizational level. In broader sport research, the micro, everyday experiences of women stakeholders and the connection to macro societal structures and ideologies have provided foundational insight to build upon. However, there is a need for research to focus on the meso-level organizational practices, policies, designs, structures, and culture to create real change. Therefore, we present a conceptual paper, focused on a meso-level analysis and the invisible labors that women stakeholders engage in, to extend existing work and provide a pathway for further investigation into gender inequity in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The edited book is a timely addition to contemporary pieces that have examined the role sport organizations and sport leaders play in perpetuating and addressing racialized organizations ([3]; [4]; [6]), anti-Blackness ([2]; [11]), settler colonialism ([1]), and whiteness ([5]; [7]; [9]; [12]). Thus, an anti-racist sport media and marketing organization must be consciously attentive to how the stories they tell about Black athletes are in concert with historical and contemporary narratives about Black people, enabling opportunities to challenge the White gaze, tokenism, and colorblindness. The focus upon youth sport advances the conversation of anti-racism in sport, as previous analyses have given more attention to college athletics. [Extracted from the article]