Abstract
This article uses a cultural studies approach to analyze the celebratory and defiant expressiveness of African-American male professional and collegiate athletes. I note attempts at controlling physical expression under the guise of ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ as interpreted by white rule-makers and media commentators, and then trace the roots of individualized expression as a natural and normal part of black life. This analysis shows that defiance of power by black athletes and control of expression by rule-makers has been a ‘game within a game’ in the modern era of collegiate and professional sports.
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He can be contacted at The University of Canterbury, Dept. of American Studies, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, NZ.
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Andrews, V.L. Black bodies—White control: The contested terrain of sportsmanlike conduct. Journal of African American Men 2, 33–59 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02733939
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02733939