ABSTRACT
A common sight in many North American cities is the over-representation of Black students on their high schools’ basketball teams. While such a sight should be encouraging, in that it represents the fact that these students are in school, and are actively engaged in schooling activities, for some parents, educators and community members, the involvement of Black males in school sports raises a set of concerns related to the perception that such involvement is more a divergence from, rather than an enhancement of, their academic performance (see Harris, 1991; Harrison & Lawrence, 2003; Jackson & Moore, 2006; James, 2005; Marsh, 1993). My objective in this chapter is not to specifically focus on these concerns but to examine some of the factors that are responsible for the over-representation of Black students on their schools’ basketball teams. These factors include schooling and institutional practices, the role of teachers and coaches, and students’ (both Black and non-Black) perceptions and use of sports as a viable part of their schooling lives. In doing so, I contend that prevailing notions of meritocracy, cultural democracy and equality of opportunity in a supposedly impartial schooling context mask the racist “male-normed” belief system and inequitable structures that inform the academic and athletic practices and experiences of both students and educators.
