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How does white privilege show up in sports?

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photo credit nicolas hoizey
A photo of a group of sprinters running on a track in a race at a competition.

Privilege does not mean that you’ve never suffered discrimination or earned something through hard work.  Privilege simply means that “there are some things in life you won’t have to think about because of who you are” (Franchesca Ramsey, Tips for Being an Ally).

In a publication titled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, Peggy McInstosh lists 50 examples of how white privilege has showed up in her life. Although her list published in 1989, it still rings true in sports today so we decided to compile our own list to help make it more visible for athletes, coaches, and anyone affiliate with sports.

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.

– Peggy McIntosh
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Breaking Bias in Your Team Culture

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A photo of a meeting room with a large wooden table at the center surrounded by people with laptops engaging in conversation. [photo credit Christina @ wocintechchat.com]

Implicit bias has become a common buzz word in diversity, equity and inclusion trainings for teams.

Since the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, universities and corporations have been scrambling to prioritize equity, education and awareness. But how does implicit bias impact the volleyball community? And how can teams work to dismantle their own biases?

To break implicit bias in your team culture, let’s start by answering a simple but critical question. What exactly is implicit bias?

Implicit bias, also referred to as unconscious bias, is a learned habit of thought that affects the way we perceive, reason, remember and make decisions. Implicit bias: 

  • Includes the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner; 
  • is outside of one’s consciousness and develops over time from the repeated reinforcement of social stereotypes; 
  • can be either positive or negative; 
  • impacts everyone (The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity, 2017).

The consequences of implicit bias and implications of racial profiling manifest across industries, from access to higher education, quality health care, housing, employment and sports. Yes, even sports. Especially sports. Disparities exist within every field and aspect of today’s society.  It impacts athletic directors, coaches, players and referees. Implicit bias plays a role in who gets hired as the head coach, who gets promoted and who gets recruited. Implicit bias impacts everyone, no matter what industry you’re in.

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