Equity, NIL & The Black Student-Athlete

Intercollegiate athletics is at the precipice of a new world. NCAA, athletic conferences, and University leaders are wanderers standing before the sea fog of uncertainty with the land shifting beneath their feet every day. As new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation reconfigures power dynamics within intercollegiate athletics, administrators, and educators are also devising new methods and systems to positively support the now essentially professional student-athletes in this transition. I was honored to participate in this effort by developing and instructing a new summer course entitled “The Black Student-Athlete” for a mix of students, including athletes from various sports at the University of Arkansas. I am a historian and a researcher by trade and this course was constructed by collaboration between the African & African American Studies program, the Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the Sam Walton College of Business, the University of Arkansas Black Alumni Society, and University of Arkansas Athletics programs. Our purpose for developing the course was to add historical and cultural context to the black student-athlete experience for current students, to enhance consciousness of their positions as students and athletes at a major southern University.

University of Arkansas students take professional resumé and branding photos with photographer Alex King for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Connecting these students, themselves burgeoning enterprises, to the network of University black alumni and staff members that serve as resources for mentorship and numerous other professional development opportunities was a key dynamic for this course and for the student’s overall success. Dr. Synetra Hughes, Managing Director for the Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office of Diversity & Inclusion, was one of the individuals at the core of bringing this new interdisciplinary cultural and economic education model to fruition. Hughes reflected on the importance of connecting campus and community resources for students at the University of Arkansas. “It’s very rare that the Walton ODI office gets to interact with student-athletes that are majoring in business. They don’t know about us and I’m the past we haven’t really had access to them in order to let them know that we are here to support them, and [that] they have resources outside of athletics. The same is true for the Black Alumni Society. I believe this class helped us to create a bridge to connect with the black student-athletes and show them the ways that our office and the Black Alumni Society wants to support them and help them be successful.”  Student-athlete schedules often do not allow for much exploration to discover campus resources, bringing those people to the class allowed connections and information to overcome the athletes’ scheduling barriers.  

Dr. Caree Banton, Director of the African & African American Studies program and University of Arkansas students listen to guest presentations for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Constructing the course in this manner provided profound reflection points on the impact of name, image, and likeness changes in college athletics, especially for the primary labor force to multibillion-dollar athletic programs, black student-athletes. Some student-athletes in the class were actively engaged in seeking and signing endorsements with brands and companies, leading to timely dialogue and real considerations about the opportunities that are now available. Understanding that many of these students had never been taught a course by a black instructor, it was important to deliver an authentic and empowering learning environment to unpack the history of black athletics from African sports to Allen Iverson and beyond, while connecting this legacy to their current experience. Coming from a segregated southern city and being a former student-athlete from a family of athletes, teaching in a language they resonated with was crucial for the students. Athletes are among the brightest students on any college campus, yet they are overwhelmingly minimized to the athletic skill they have worked tremendously to perfect. The course deconstructed many of the prevailing historical stereotypes about black athletics and examined the complications of class, gender, and sexuality dynamics for black athletes. Along the journey, students measured how historical black athletes grappled with the conflict of responsibility to self or to community uplift and considered their own perspectives on how to approach current issues as black athletes.

The challenges facing black athletes and their communities are centuries in the making, but the global pandemic and protests of 2020 further aroused consciousness within athletics and society at large. Black athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are pushing mental health dialogue forward by stepping away from the biggest platforms in their sport to care for themselves in a way that seems unfathomable merely a generation ago. The class also provided space to critically assess how factors like the viewership of different sports leagues contribute to the advertising and television dollars that ultimately impact racial and economic power dynamics surrounding athletes’ experiences. This multidimensional context is key to deciphering new pathways through the hazy and uncertain future of college athletics. Dr. Hughes reflected, “Providing the space for students to learn about the black student experience on a PWI campus is absolutely necessary. It forces us to teach the students about the history of the black athlete and how that evolution created the platform that they have today to speak out about the things that they are passionate about.  I think this course was critical to breaking down the barriers that exist on our campus where student-athletes aren’t shown the real value in connecting with faculty, staff, and administrators that look like them and connecting with alumni that have walked in their shoes not only as students but also as student-athletes.” Securing constitutional rights to fully capitalize off of their name, image and likeness brought new dimensions to conversations of equity for black student-athletes.  

University of Arkansas students listen to guest presentations for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

“I feel like college athletics tries to add too many stipulations for their athletes. It’s always been don’t smear your university’s name, when you go out into the public you represent the logo or the sports team that you play for. Now add being a black-student athlete to that and now it’s all those rules plus don’t be “too” black, don’t be too vocal about your stance on certain issues, try to manage your emotions so you’re not seen as being difficult.” 

-Student Reflection

Scotty Thurman Jr., Assistant Director of Compliance for the Southeastern Conference, spoke with students for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Now that student-athletes can benefit from their athletic platforms, it is more essential than ever for University communities, athletic conferences, and governing bodies to align around the goal of providing student-athletes with all available resources for business and professional education, as well as networking opportunities that come as part of the traditional college experience. Campuses must be intentional about creating spaces for student-athletes to engage with their student peers and alumni networks, instead of looking to reinforce traditional models of student-athlete control, which silo them from the main benefits of attending college. The second half of the course featured a series of guest speakers and panel discussions that informed and inspired students to consider their own plans to take advantage of their platform as athletes. We hosted representatives from the University of Arkansas NIL program, SEC compliance, and NCAA Diversity Equity and Inclusion offices to help students understand the often unstandardized rules that regulate student-athletes’ new opportunities. Successful professional and former collegiate athletes from numerous industries, as well as branding and storytelling experts encouraged students to lean into the power of their stories and find new ways to connect their passions to the communities around them. Dr. Hughes remarked, “People from all walks of life and levels of success were able to share advice and wisdom about navigating life and balancing work. All of the speakers and presenters were open and candid about the challenges they faced and how they overcame those challenges and that’s what will help the students the most. They now have a direct line of communication with those individuals and their networks have grown which will help them long into their careers.” Providing student-athletes with this information and these resources brings greater equity to groups who have been systemically marginalized and still face real challenges, especially on predominately white campuses that make their billions off of major college sports. 

Niya Hackworth, NCAA Director of Inclusion, is interviewed by Dr. Synetra Hughes, Managing Director for the Dr. Barbara A. Lofton Office of Diversity & Inclusion for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Niya Hackworth, NCAA Director of Inclusion, joined the Black Student-Athlete class to share insights on some of the conversations intercollegiate governing bodies are having about the potential impact of NIL legislation on diversity, equity, and inclusion in college sports. “I definitely think even before NIL kind of came through there were conversations about [issues like] Title IX and the equity piece with potential for misuse in women's sports. I also think you know when it comes to schools that are under-resourced or differently resourced as you say, we think about the impact from a recruitment standpoint to individual student-athletes.” Hackworth continued, “I definitely think there's a lot more, and as things kind of unfold I think that we will get more and more into the depth of what that looks like and what to think about, but we had not been having some of those conversations particularly before this.”

Artists and entrepreneurs LaKisha Bradley of My-T-By-Design Therapeutic Art studio and Kenneth Reams of Who Decides, Inc., spoke with students for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Student-athletes are at the forefront of the new media world with professional athletes revolutionizing how sports stories are told. Draymond Green’s interview with Kevin Durant was a preview of the coming sports media landscape, and students in The Black Student-Athlete class were instructed in the art of telling their own stories by My-T-By-Design Therapeutic Art studio owner LaKisha Bradley and incarcerated master artist Kenneth Reams, founder of the non-profit organization Who Decides, Inc. Equipping students with the tools to construct their own identities and narratives prepares them for independence and establishes sustainable communities.

University of Arkansas students view and discuss a creation by artist Kenneth Reams for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

“The power I find in my story is self-awareness and authenticity. When individuals take control of their own story and become self-aware to what is true, it is most easy to be your most authentic self, and I believe that with everything in me. No one was made and put on this earth to be a copycat, but to bring out something in this world that was never here before you arrived. The communities my story would resonate with the most are individuals who have that self-awareness and authenticity. I hope to reach those who have not yet found their own identity and push them towards finding their true self which is one of the main goals of my brand.” 

-Student Reflection 

Jamaican Olympic bronze medalist Dominique Blake and American NCAA champion track and field athlete Taliyah Brooks spoke with students for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Name, image, and likeness changes take on an entirely different dynamic when considering the circumstances for the thousands of foreign-born athletes competing at American education institutions. Dr. Caree Banton, Director of the African & African American Studies program at the University of Arkansas, asked class guest speaker and 2012 Jamaican Olympic bronze medalist Dominique Blake how international athletes should approach the different NIL rules that restrict beneficial access to partnerships with American companies.

Jamaican Olympic bronze medalist Dominique Blake shared branding advice with students for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Blake cautioned international student-athletes to be aware of the distinctions but also encouraged them to use creatively use their platforms to draw markets in their home countries. “We have to realize that social media really messed up the game and is now the hack and the plug and really diminishes all those barriers and those lines, so if you're in America, you are running or competing for an American NCAA represented school that doesn't matter you can now be even better if you're smart. You can now have brands from your home country and in America, the country that you're now being hosted by as a student-athlete even if you're a citizen or not. As long as you can get Zelle, cash app, and PayPal you are in the game, it's that simple. Now it messed up the game for agents and managers. Don't think for a second, that the CEOs don't see what's happening everybody's on Instagram on social media all the time.”

Terry Prentice, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Athlete Brand Development and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Arkansas, discussed NIL legislation rules with students for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Terry Prentice, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Athlete Brand Development and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Arkansas explained the uncertainties facing NIL for campuses across the country. “The NCAA laws are as big as possible and the rule is one of two things: if your state has a NIL law on the books, then you follow that… if your state doesn't have something that's on the books you’ve got to create your own policy with three or four rules that are in there. Since our [Arkansas state] law doesn't start until January 2022, our [University] policy is the law, but the policy is University of Arkansas and in January it'll shift to state of Arkansas law.” As NIL policies are still developing for states around the country, the legacies of inequity in college sports are invaluable reminders of the need for intentional, strategic investments into broadening the information and opportunities available for student-athletes.

Equity of information and resources is one aspect of the changes sweeping across campuses, but colleges and universities are bastions for free thought and cause-based organizing. Equity for black student-athletes is more than the millions that black student-athletes can now rightfully keep from their hard-earned labor. Equity is also colleges and universities creating and protecting space for black student-athletes to explore their own human convictions and leverage their public platforms to support the causes and communities which they care so deeply about. I place the responsibility on campuses because it is the reason for their existence, and more importantly many major institutions have far too often silenced the expressions and experiences of their athletes, creating a rift between many of their most notable representatives and the alumni and fans that fell in love with their performance. More college students can tell you the last five NCAA football champions faster than they will ever be able to rattle off even three total Nobel prize winners from history.

Former NFL wide receiver Damian Williams and Ron Harris, founder of A Level Up Inc., discussed the value of developing identities beyond athletics with students for The Black Student-Athlete summer course.

July 2021

Former collegiate athletes are often eager to come back to campus and share their insights from time spent dealing with many of the same situations current student-athletes are facing. Damian Williams, former NFL wide receiver graciously returned to campus after a number of years away to share his journey and offer caution to the young athletes. Williams told students that discovering an identity beyond the playing field was key to his growth as a professional athlete. Williams obliged the students, “As athletes, we always hear to know who we keep around us, I tell young athletes to know why others keep you around them.” Wisdom from former athletes and alumni is among the most valuable assets student-athletes receive in preparation for their future careers. Utilizing alumni resources along with the various campus networks which support diverse student and professional experiences, creates a sustainable infrastructure to channel information and opportunities to needing communities. Dr. Hughes expounded on how institutions must champion current and former student-athletes in the changing world of college sports, “Colleges and universities must create opportunities to engage their Black alumni, faculty, staff and be a conduit to connect the athletes with those groups. They want to help and see these kids succeed on and off the field. They just need to be given the right opportunity to provide their support.” This path creates lifelong relations between student-athletes and the institutions that their sweat equity helped build. It also gives colleges and universities opportunities to continue celebrating their athlete’s career successes and support educational and philanthropic endeavors in their various communities, placing a positive light on campuses for potential students and donors.

Former basketball athletes return to campus to celebrate the unveiling of Nolan Richardson Drive at the University of Arkansas.

May 2021

The University of Arkansas has recently, although reluctantly, begun the process of rectifying old wounds with former sports legends through the power of name, image, and likeness. On October 20, 2019, former National Champion coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Nolan Richardson was honored by naming the court at Bud Walton arena in his honor. This court naming marked the beginning of reconciliation from a bitter racially motivated dispute decades in the making.

Coach Richardson was further honored by naming the street where Bud Walton arena is located to Nolan Richardson drive in the spring of 2021 through an initiative spearheaded by the University of Arkansas Black Alumni Society after much disdain over the presence of statues commemorating former national champion coaches except Nolan Richardson. Alumni and former athletes returned to help honor coach Richardson despite the pandemic and expressed enthusiasm about the changing attitudes of the University towards its black former athletes.

Promoting inclusivity on campus should not stop at the doors of the athletic facilities. Campuses should welcome their former athletes to return as more than just celebrity donors or token trot-outs for the homecoming halftime. Athletics is the lifeblood for many of the country’s most well-attended institutions of higher learning. True equity is now a tangible opportunity and institutions must lean into the work of rectifying injustices of the past. Now that athletes can fully benefit from their labor, it is imperative that institutions align all available resources to provide real equity by facilitating education and networks to help student-athletes make informed decisions and further their opportunities for a lifetime of success.

Airic Hughes | S.R.E.B. Dissertation Award Fellow, Ph.D. candidate University of Arkansas 

photos: Alex King, Ryan Versey, Airic Hughes