Black Migrant Athlete

Munene Franjo Mwaniki is an assistant professor of sociology at Western Carolina University.

"Using extensive archival news database research, the author examines representations of these athletes in terms of racial and national stereotypes. Mwaniki's particular strength here is in his multilayered analyses. He skillfully examines how the athletes themselves navigate both positive and negative media representations, explores the ways their reactions impact their identity, and finally considers what those representations mean to the larger African and Western communities. Scholars of race, media, and nationalism, among other areas, will find this work to be a valuable contribution to the field."-A. Curtis, Choice "Mwaniki’s text is an absolute must read: it is groundbreaking, captivating, eye-opening, and truly innovative in its discussions of the representation of the Black African migrant. . . . Whether situated in the United States, the United Kingdom, or any other part of the Western world, I implore scholars to read this book and engage with its dominant messages."-Rory Magrath, American Journal of Sociology “Engaging, timely, and important, The Black Migrant Athlete carves out new ground within discussions of sport and society with its focus on migration, African athletes, and media representations. Truly novel and innovative, this is a must-read.”-David J. Leonard, author of Playing While White“The Black Migrant Athlete is a fascinating analysis of media representations of African immigrant athletes. . . . Mwaniki expertly shows that [a] contradiction lies at the heart of paternalistic loathing that greets even the most privileged African immigrants to the West.”-Monica McDermott, associate professor of sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and author of Working Class White: The Making and Unmaking of Race Relations “Ground-breaking. . . . An original and timely text that encourages us to think globally, historically, and critically about the myriad situated ways that black migrant athletes are rendered variously similar and Other in the Western imagination.”-Daniel Burdsey, deputy head of research in the School of Sport and Service Management at the University of Brighton and author of Race, Place, and the Seaside: Postcards from the Edge

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Black African Immigration to the West1. Race and Sport: Situating the Black African Athlete2. Everyday Othering: Boundary Making and Maintenance3. Model Minorities: Origin Stories, Hard Workers, and Humanitarians4. “Bad” Blacks: Contingent Acceptance and Essentialized Blackness5. Immigrant Reception: Nationalism, Identity, Politics, and Resistance6. The Diasporic Athlete: Blackness and Meaning in the African Diaspora7. The Sporting Migrant: Antiblack Racism and the Foreign OtherAppendix A: Methodology and Data-Gathering ProceduresAppendix B: Individuals in the StudyNotesBibliographyIndex