September 15, 2024

Welcome to our weekly Sunday newsletter. We are explaining how Black college athletes deal with stereotypes on campus, America’s views on the economy as it relates to the 2024 election and find out which actress just received her first Emmy Award.

How Black male college students deal

with anti-Black stereotypes on campus

Written by Lisa D. Tinsley

Navigating Stereotypes as Black Athletes

Black male athletes at Division I colleges face the challenge of managing stereotypes like the “dumb jock” label. Many athletes modify their behavior and appearance to avoid reinforcing these perceptions. This includes purposely avoiding wearing athletic gear to class or often refraining from speaking up to avoid confrontation in predominantly white environments.

Strategies for Self-Presentation

Many athletes in a study completed by Temple University professor Jonathan Howe, changed their self-presentation in both academic and athletic settings to control how they were perceived. Football player’s were noted that they had to assert themselves more in class to be taken seriously, while others, hid their athletic identity to distance themselves from the stereotype that being an athlete meant lacking intelligence. This demonstrates the pressures they face to adjust their behavior to counteract societal assumptions.

Racial Imbalances at Division I Schools

Despite Black male athletes making up a significant portion of football and basketball players at Division I schools, they are often isolated in predominantly white institutions (PWIs). These schools have a predominantly white athletic staff, faculty, and administrators, further contributing to Black athletes’ feelings of alienation. This disconnect leads to a lack of support and understanding for the unique challenges Black male athletes face, especially when navigating academic and social spaces on campus.

Pushing Back Against Stereotypes

Not all Black male athletes conform to societal expectations. Some choose to present themselves authentically as a form of resistance to anti-Black stereotypes. While being a successful athlete may afford certain privileges, these privileges are conditional and often tied to performance. One athlete’s approach exemplifies a refusal to let societal pressures dictate how Black athletes express themselves, underscoring the complexity of their experiences at predominantly white schools.

campus chronicles // hbcu edition

• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University announced the addition of five new graduate degree programs, reinforcing its commitment to addressing critical workforce needs in healthcare, STEM fields, and criminal justice. Starting this fall, the university welcomes its first cohorts into its Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs in criminal justice, alongside a new Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

• The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 national rankings recognize North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University as the nation’s top public historically Black university. The remaining public HBCUs on the list include Florida A&M University, North Carolina Central University, Prairie View A&M University, Tennessee State University, Savannah State University, Jackson State University, and Alcorn State University.

• Alabama A&M University has officially partnered with Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly in Côte d’Ivoire. Central to the agreement is the promotion of scientific and educational collaboration that aims to yield joint research projects, exchange technical information, and develop cooperative training programs. The partnership focuses on disciplines critical to both institutions, including agriculture, food science, animal science, and agricultural economics.

election insight

• White Prostestants and Catholics support former President Donald Trump, while Vice President Kamala Harris has supporters from other U.S. religious groups.

• Nearly half of voters say Trump’s age will hurt his candidacy. Far more voters say Trump’s age will hurt him (49%) than help him (3%) in the election; the remainder say it will not make much difference. The reverse is true for how voters see the effect of Harris’ age: 46% say the fact that she is 59 will help her with voters, while just 3% say it will hurt her.

• Americans’ views of the economy continue to be largely negative. Americans’ views of the national economy are about as negative today as they were at the start of this year. Only 25% rate national economic conditions excellent or good. Prices for food and consumer goods continue to be a major concern for most Americans, and increasing shares express concerns about housing costs and jobs.

black history in quotes 

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our community in numbers

• Despite fast-rising mortgage rates, minority groups saw increased homeownership rates in 2022. Asian (63.3%) and Hispanic (51.1%) homeownership rates registered all-time highs. The Black homeownership rate experienced a modest uptick to 44.1%, but remains substantially lower than Asian, Hispanic and White (72.3%) Americans. Since 2012, the homeownership gap between Black and White Americans has widened from 27% to 28%.

• September is Suicide Awarenss Month. Suicide rates continue to rise with Black Americans facing a 58% increase in suicide rates between 2011 and 2021. For Black or African Americans between the ages of 15 to 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death.

culture

Congratulations to Angela Bassett on winning her first Emmy Award for narrating National Geographic’s “Queens”, a series about animal matriarchies. This marks her ninth Emmy nomination in her four-decade career. Bassett praised the all-women production team for their incredible work on the groundbreaking project.

“Segregation Scholarships” will air Monday, September 16th at 9/8 central on PBS, YouTube and on the PBS app. During segregation, scholarships were offered to Black students in the South who were denied access to graduate programs, allowing them to pursue their degrees at institutions in the North. These scholarships were meant to compensate for the educational opportunities that were unavailable due to racial barriers in Southern states.

the sunday briefing recommends…

View the enduring mark Black artists have made in the U.S. at the National Gallery in Washington D.C.

Watch Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speak about her daughter’s autism diagnosis to CNN’s Abby Phillip.

Read about how Caribbean islands are in a water crisis and why their governments have warned residents that water scarcity may become the norm.

Our editor, Lisa D. Tinsley, would like to thank you for spending part of your day with KISA News Radio. See you next Sunday.

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