The debasement and \"niggering \" of Black male student athletes who attend PWI's is an issue that has been well documented since the mid to late sixties (Edwards, 1969, Olson, 1968). This population has been negatively stereotyped as being superior athletically, but inferior intellectually (Edwards, 1984). Both scholars and practitioners have focused on other pervasive issues including: (1) the academic achievement gap that exist between Black male student athletes and their White counterparts (Harper, 2013), (2) the commercialization of college athletics (Beamon, 2008; Donnor, 2005), and (3) negative stereotypes that continue to plague Black male student athletes (Hodge, Burden, Robinson, & Bennett, 2008; Oseguera, 2010). There are also current monumental lawsuits including the likeness lawsuit and athlete's right to unionize that will certainly impact the future of revenue sports for Black male student athletes.
Through a review of literature, research, and the author's lived experience from professional practice, this dissertation in practice explores the psychological effects of projected negative stereotypes and how that might impact the academic and social experiences for African American Male student athletes who attend PWI's. The author employs a race-based epistemological approach to inquiry to explore the issues raised in this dissertation. Specifically, Stereotype Threat, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the Sociology of Sport frame this work. The main argument is, racial stereotypes are still ubiquitous and pernicious for Black male student athletes who attend PWI's, and failure to see this issue as a matter of social justice, will ensure continued dismal outcomes for this population. The author suggest culturally relevant interventions to facilitating courageous conversations with Black male student athletes, and also a decentralized diversity initiative as designs for action that could lead to generative impacts. This dissertation in practice hopes to offer insights into the types of programs, services, psycho-educational workshops, and interventions that athletic departments or outside groups might consider for revenue playing African American male student athletes who attend PWI's.
","abstract_html":"<p>The debasement and "niggering " of Black male student athletes who attend PWI's is an issue that has been well documented since the mid to late sixties (Edwards, 1969, Olson, 1968). This population has been negatively stereotyped as being superior athletically, but inferior intellectually (Edwards, 1984). Both scholars and practitioners have focused on other pervasive issues including: (1) the academic achievement gap that exist between Black male student athletes and their White counterparts (Harper, 2013), (2) the commercialization of college athletics (Beamon, 2008; Donnor, 2005), and (3) negative stereotypes that continue to plague Black male student athletes (Hodge, Burden, Robinson, & Bennett, 2008; Oseguera, 2010). There are also current monumental lawsuits including the likeness lawsuit and athlete's right to unionize that will certainly impact the future of revenue sports for Black male student athletes.</p> <p>Through a review of literature, research, and the author's lived experience from professional practice, this dissertation in practice explores the psychological effects of projected negative stereotypes and how that might impact the academic and social experiences for African American Male student athletes who attend PWI's. The author employs a race-based epistemological approach to inquiry to explore the issues raised in this dissertation. Specifically, Stereotype Threat, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the Sociology of Sport frame this work. The main argument is, racial stereotypes are still ubiquitous and pernicious for Black male student athletes who attend PWI's, and failure to see this issue as a matter of social justice, will ensure continued dismal outcomes for this population. The author suggest culturally relevant interventions to facilitating courageous conversations with Black male student athletes, and also a decentralized diversity initiative as designs for action that could lead to generative impacts. This dissertation in practice hopes to offer insights into the types of programs, services, psycho-educational workshops, and interventions that athletic departments or outside groups might consider for revenue playing African American male student athletes who attend PWI's.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Whitaker, Ronald William, II"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"EdD","degree_level":"Immediate Access","degree_discipline":"Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership (ProDEL)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Rick McCown","Darius Prier","Gretchen Generett","Adriel Hilton"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:10:36Z","subjects":["Black Males","Diversity","Inclusion","and Equity","Intercollegiate Athletics","Stereotype Threat"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1361","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Rick McCown","Darius Prier","Gretchen Generett","Adriel Hilton"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Whitaker, Ronald William, II"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership (ProDEL)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Immediate Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["EdD"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Black Males","Diversity","Inclusion","and Equity","Intercollegiate Athletics","Stereotype Threat"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1361"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The debasement and \"niggering \" of Black male student athletes who attend PWI's is an issue that has been well documented since the mid to late sixties (Edwards, 1969, Olson, 1968). This population has been negatively stereotyped as being superior athletically, but inferior intellectually (Edwards, 1984). Both scholars and practitioners have focused on other pervasive issues including: (1) the academic achievement gap that exist between Black male student athletes and their White counterparts (Harper, 2013), (2) the commercialization of college athletics (Beamon, 2008; Donnor, 2005), and (3) negative stereotypes that continue to plague Black male student athletes (Hodge, Burden, Robinson, & Bennett, 2008; Oseguera, 2010). There are also current monumental lawsuits including the likeness lawsuit and athlete's right to unionize that will certainly impact the future of revenue sports for Black male student athletes.
Through a review of literature, research, and the author's lived experience from professional practice, this dissertation in practice explores the psychological effects of projected negative stereotypes and how that might impact the academic and social experiences for African American Male student athletes who attend PWI's. The author employs a race-based epistemological approach to inquiry to explore the issues raised in this dissertation. Specifically, Stereotype Threat, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the Sociology of Sport frame this work. The main argument is, racial stereotypes are still ubiquitous and pernicious for Black male student athletes who attend PWI's, and failure to see this issue as a matter of social justice, will ensure continued dismal outcomes for this population. The author suggest culturally relevant interventions to facilitating courageous conversations with Black male student athletes, and also a decentralized diversity initiative as designs for action that could lead to generative impacts. This dissertation in practice hopes to offer insights into the types of programs, services, psycho-educational workshops, and interventions that athletic departments or outside groups might consider for revenue playing African American male student athletes who attend PWI's.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Decentralized Approach to Confront the Debasement of Black Male Student Athletes Who Attend PWI'S"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Rick McCown","Darius Prier","Gretchen Generett","Adriel Hilton"],"dc:creator":["Whitaker, Ronald William, II"],"dc:date.available":["2014-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The debasement and \"niggering \" of Black male student athletes who attend PWI's is an issue that has been well documented since the mid to late sixties (Edwards, 1969, Olson, 1968). This population has been negatively stereotyped as being superior athletically, but inferior intellectually (Edwards, 1984). Both scholars and practitioners have focused on other pervasive issues including: (1) the academic achievement gap that exist between Black male student athletes and their White counterparts (Harper, 2013), (2) the commercialization of college athletics (Beamon, 2008; Donnor, 2005), and (3) negative stereotypes that continue to plague Black male student athletes (Hodge, Burden, Robinson, & Bennett, 2008; Oseguera, 2010). There are also current monumental lawsuits including the likeness lawsuit and athlete's right to unionize that will certainly impact the future of revenue sports for Black male student athletes.
Through a review of literature, research, and the author's lived experience from professional practice, this dissertation in practice explores the psychological effects of projected negative stereotypes and how that might impact the academic and social experiences for African American Male student athletes who attend PWI's. The author employs a race-based epistemological approach to inquiry to explore the issues raised in this dissertation. Specifically, Stereotype Threat, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the Sociology of Sport frame this work. The main argument is, racial stereotypes are still ubiquitous and pernicious for Black male student athletes who attend PWI's, and failure to see this issue as a matter of social justice, will ensure continued dismal outcomes for this population. The author suggest culturally relevant interventions to facilitating courageous conversations with Black male student athletes, and also a decentralized diversity initiative as designs for action that could lead to generative impacts. This dissertation in practice hopes to offer insights into the types of programs, services, psycho-educational workshops, and interventions that athletic departments or outside groups might consider for revenue playing African American male student athletes who attend PWI's.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1361"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Black Males","Diversity","Inclusion","and Equity","Intercollegiate Athletics","Stereotype Threat"],"dc:title":["A Decentralized Approach to Confront the Debasement of Black Male Student Athletes Who Attend PWI'S"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership (ProDEL)"],"thesis:degree_level":["Immediate Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["EdD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:10:36Z"}