Campus Enrichment Lecture Series: Athlete Activism and the Politics of Dialogue in American Life: A Conversation on Race, Sport and Citizenship Featuring Dr. Robert Bennett III

Athlete Activism and the Politics of Dialogue in American Life: A Conversation on Race, Sport and Citizenship

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, a powerful narrative has emerged positioning Black athletes as primary torchbearers for social justice causes. During this time, they have consistently challenged and reshaped national conversations surrounding race, activism, and citizenship in the United States. Yet, within the tightly regulated boundaries of collegiate and professional sports, the humanity of these athletes is often overlooked, especially when expectations of social responsibility are placed upon them. This keynote explores contemporary understandings of how race continues to shape the expectations placed on Black athletes beyond the playing field, and how communities across the U.S. grapple with enduring inequalities that make their activism both urgent and necessary. This lecture will  help us explore how activism and advocacy  impacts one's professional and personal life beyond the parameters of sport and social identities.

The Campus Enrichment Lecture Series will focus on The Power of Dialogue. Our lectures this semester will explore different perspectives and will examine how dialogue can deepen understanding. This series invites our campus to come together to listen intently, feed curiosity and create ways to meaningfully engage with ideas that shape our shared community. 

This lecture features Dr. Robert Bennett III. 

Dr. Bennett III is an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Studies at Denison University. A native of Decatur, Georgia, he earned his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and his graduate degree from The Ohio State University. Bennett’s scholarship examines the intersections of race, sport, activism, and college athletics. He is the author of More than an Athlete: Jim Brown, Black Capitalism, and the Black Economic Union, which explores how Black professional athletes strategically engaged in the Civil Rights Movement by using economic development as a primary form of activism within their communities and professions. He is also co-editor of Black Males and Intercollegiate Athletics: An Exploration of Problems and Solutions and The Collegiate Athlete at Risk: Strategies for Academic Support and Success. Prior to his appointment at Denison University, Bennett served as a Faculty Fellow with the Heman Sweatt Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Campus Enrichment and Engagement | Website | View More Events
Co-hosted with: Case Association of Student-Athletes, Explore

Contact the organizers