Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Leveling The Playing Field: Sport And Resistance In Low-Wealth Communities, Danielle Jo Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A consequence of systemic racism in the United States is low-wealth minority neighborhoods that are segregated from the rest of society and whose residents have less opportunities for social mobility than the general population. These neighborhoods often become the target of post-racial neoliberal projects of community development that emphasize individual development and achievement, or assisting residents with “escaping” their community as a means of achieving social mobility. One of the major forms of development is sport for development, aimed at youth in low-wealth minority neighborhoods. Here I call for a new narrative of community development that is critical, taking into …