LeBron James, Self Determination, and the Slavery of the African American Athlete

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dc.contributor.advisorTripp, Jeffery
dc.contributor.authorBallard, Troy
dc.contributor.departmentAmerican Studies
dc.date.accessioned2018-06-28T19:40:38Z
dc.date.available2018-06-28T19:40:38Z
dc.date.issued2015-05
dc.description.abstractA belief of white superiority has been a constant dominating undertone in American history, and because of this, there has been irrefutable prejudice and discrimination towards those of African American descent. Demonstrations of white supremacy are constantly visible within popular culture, most being tucked into the subscript of a popular sitcom, buried in the lyrics of the newest pop single or thinly veiled in a clothing advertisement, and professional sports are no exception. I suggest in this project that black athletes are exploited by a predominately white consumer base that values a win-loss column and statistics more than understanding the long-term and historical precedent of professional sports as an institution that forcefully rejects self-determination, promotes negative historical stereotypes and ideologies, and ultimately, serves as a contemporary form of slavery. To substantiate this claim, I will examine several prominent examples of the public sphere broadly rejecting LeBron James’ desire to self-determine. This project will analyze public letters written by a team owner, fan and public responses on Twitter and professional sports publications following comments made by James about his salary and following “Decision.” By examining the career of James, arguably the most popular black athlete in the world, he is the ideal metaphor for all other African American athletes.
dc.description.degreeAmerican Studies
dc.format.extent37 pages
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10125/56506
dc.publisherUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
dc.rightsAll UHM Honors Projects are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dc.subjectAfrican American
dc.subjectSelf-Determination
dc.subjectSlavery
dc.subjectLeBron James
dc.titleLeBron James, Self Determination, and the Slavery of the African American Athlete
dc.type.dcmiText

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