MIAMI UNIVERSITY The Graduate School Certificate for Approving the Dissertation We hereby approve the Dissertation of James H. Campbell Certificate for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________________________________________ Director Dr. Richard Quantz __________________________________________________ Reader Dr. Denise Taliaferro Baszile __________________________________________________ Reader Dr. Thomas Poetter __________________________________________________ Graduate School Representative Dr. Sherrill Sellers ABSTRACT DJANGOS CHAINED: UNDERSTANDING THE NARRATIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENT ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN DIVISION I BASKETBALL AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS Using Critical Race Theory as a conceptual foundation, this study examined the struggle and unique tensions encountered by African American males participating in Division I basketball in the United States. Particularly, it examines those tensions associated with the inequities these athletes experience as a result of eligibility requirements, their experience of otherness, and the lack of agency. This is a qualitative analysis that uses a template analysis. The primary research question is: How do Division I African American male intercollegiate basketball players narrate their university experience and what do those narratives reveal about their understanding of the material conditions of their labor? This question aims at understanding how the players understand their experiences at their university both on and off the basketball court, but it ended up being primarily interested in their experiences with their academic life. This dissertation also provides a brief history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and covers the rules and regulations that apply to the student-athlete. The literature addressing black masculinity, "otherness," and persistence is also presented. Some of the main findings of this study were the African American male student athletes maintain complex and contradictory perceptions of self in the academic side of their experiences, reveal a fairly consistent agreement on the right for student athletes to receive some financial remuneration for all of the revenue they create, experienced both positive and negative moments related to being Black at a Predominantly White Institution including the complexity of interracial dating, but the central finding of the study is that while these young Black men have mostly positive memories of their college experiences, they found themselves having to subsume their academic ambitions to their basketball responsibilities. DJANGOS CHAINED: UNDERSTANDING THE NARRATIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENT ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN DIVISION I BASKETBALL AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Educational Leadership by James H. Campbell Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2014 Dissertation Director: Dr. Richard Quantz © James H. Campbell 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Dedication……………………………………………………………………………… vi Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………….. vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Preface………………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Research Questions and Purpose of Study……………………………………………... 2 Outline of Dissertation…………………………………………………………………. 4 Significance of Study…………………………………………………………………... 5 CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW Review of Literature…………………………………………………………………… 7 National Collegiate Athletic Association……………………………………………… 8 Purpose of the NCAA…………………………………………………………………. 8 Division I, II, III……………………………………………………………………….. 9 NCAA Clearinghouse…………………………………………………………………. 9 Proposition 48…………………………………………………………………………. 11 Proposition 16…………………………………………………………………………. 12 Qualifier……………………………………………………………………………….. 13 Nonqualifier…………………………………………………………………………… 14 Maintaining Eligibility………………………………………………………………… 15 Satisfactory Progress………………………………………………………………….. 16 Revenue Generation…………………………………………………………………… 17 Predominantly White Institution……………………………………………………… 18 Scholarship at PWI……………………………………………………………………. 18 Black Masculinity……………………………………………………………………... 20 Otherness……………………………………………………………………………… 23 The Inability to Make a Choice……………………………………………………….. 26 Persistence…………………………………………………………………………….. 27 Critical Race Theory………………………………………………………………….. 29 Five Tenets of CRT…………………………………………………………………… 30 Some Other Important Ideas of CRT………………………………………………….. 33 Critical Race Theory in Education…………………………………………………….. 34 Critical Race Theory in Sport…………………………………………………………. 35 Contributions of the Study…………………………………………………………….. 37 iii CHAPTER THREE - METHODOLOGY Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 39 Narrative Gathering…………………………………………………………………… 40 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………. 42 Conversation Questions………………………………………………………………. 42 CHAPTER FOUR - FINDINGS Major Topics and Themes…………………………………………………………….. 43 Topic 1: Student in the Classroom……………………………………………………. 43 Theme 1.1: The felt need to avoid acting like a “stereotypical athlete”………………. 43 Theme 1.2: The institution provided athletes a lot of support for academic success…. 43 Theme 1. 3: Many of these students felt that the transition from high school to college was a difficult one……………………………………………….. 44 Theme 1.4: Many of these students were essentially assigned their major and the classes that they would take by their academic advisor or other university officials…....…………………………………………………… 44 Theme 1.5: Individuals and institutions representations were willing to find ways for the athlete to circumvent the academic system……………………….. 44 Theme 1.6: Ways in which race entered their classroom experience…………………. 44 Theme 1.7: Some of these students had very positive and typical student experiences in their classrooms………………………………………….. 45 Theme 1.8: Faculty tended to fall into one of three categories, bias against athletes, supportive of athletes, or neutral toward athletes………………………… 45 Theme 1.8.1: Some professors appeared to have a bias toward athletes……………… 45 Theme 1.8.2: Many instructors were very supportive of athletes…………………….. 45 Theme 1.8.3: Many professors treated athletes neither better nor worse than other students…………………………………………………………… 46 Topic 2: Otherness……………………………………………………………………. 46 Theme 2.1: Positive Experience………………………………………………………. 46 Theme 2.2: Negative Experience……………………………………………………… 46 Theme 2.3: The Athletes Sense of Privilege………………………………………….. 46 Theme 2.4: Recognition Toward Athletes……………………………………………. 46 Topic 3: Social Life on Campus………………………………………………………. 47 Theme 3.1: Celebrity Status…………………………………………………………… 48 Theme 3.2: Race………………………………………………………………………. 48 Theme 3.3: Campus Activities………………………………………………………… 48 Theme 3.4: Joining Organizations…………………………………………………….. 48 Theme 3.5: Living Situation…………………………………………………………... 49 Topic 4: Being Black………………………………………………………………….. 49 Theme 4.1: Being Black on Campus………………………………………………….. 50 Theme 4.2: Perceived Solidarity with Other Blacks…………………………………... 50 Theme 4.3: Being Black Socially……………………………………………………… 50 Theme 4.4: Dating While Being Black………………………………………………... 51 iv Theme 4.4.1: Interracial Dating……………………………………………………….. 52 Topic 5: Components of Being a Student Athlete…………………………………….. 52 Theme 5.1: Student Athlete…………………………………………………………… 52 Theme 5.2: Most Difficult Thing as a Student Athlete……………………………….. 53 Theme 5.3: Choosing a Course of Study……………………………………………… 53 Topic 6: Play for Pay………………………………………………………………….. 55 Theme 6.1: Payment for Play…………………………………………………………. 55 CHAPTER FIVE - DISCUSSION Discussion……………………………………………………………………………… 56 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………... 64 Limitations of the Study……………………………………………………………….. 67 Implications for Future Research……………………………………………………… 67 Final Comments……………………………………………………………………….. 69 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………… 71 v Dedication I would like to dedicate this work to all of the young people who never had an idea of what were the possibilities. I also want to dedicate this to Arimel E. Campbell you have been the singular consistent role model, supporter, caregiver, teacher, friend, movie buddy, date, life coach, mentor, counselor, companion, example of honor, example of integrity, example of courage, example of strength, example of compassion, example of trustworthiness, example of perseverance, cheerleader, disciplinarian, prayer giver, chef, fashion designer, sounding board, savior, and the best mother. This is a gift to you. I hope that I have made you proud. Thank You I Love You vi Acknowledgments First and foremost I must thank my Lord for being my savior and provider, without him nothing would be possible. I do not know what your plan for me is but I do know that you are not done with me yet and you would not have brought me this far to drop me off here. Secondly I have to thank my mother Arimel E. Campbell, you never gave up on me and I owe everything to your diligence. I lived the struggle with you which forged my determination and desire to achieve regardless of the odds. My father, James H. Brown and grandfather Aldo Smith, I thank you for being the individuals that you were, I was made better because of the time that I had with you both; R.I.P. I want to say thank you to my big sis Vanessa L. Campbell-Mackey, Aunt Bert, Aunt Mary, Nee Nee and the rest of my family and extended family who have shown support and encouraged this scholarly endeavor. I thank my committee for their patience