ESPN commentator, professor Kevin Blackistone speaking at KU's 'Race and Sports' symposium

LAWRENCE — The Langston Hughes Center, Kansas Athletics and the Department of African and African-American Studies at the University of Kansas will present “Race and Sports in American Culture: A KU Symposium” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in the Jayhawk Welcome Center.

The seventh annual event will feature a keynote address from Kevin Blackistone, an award-winning sportswriter, author, ESPN commentator and University of Maryland professor, as well as a panel discussion with former KU student-athletes Derek Fine (football) and Austin Richardson (women’s basketball).

The event is free and open to the public. Donations benefiting the Langston Hughes Center will be accepted.

Shawn Leigh Alexander, professor and current chair of African & African-American Studies and director of the Langston Hughes Center, said the world of sport allows for a multi-level discussion about many issues, including corporate power, race, gender, homophobia, urban planning, health and labor.

“Sport, while occupying a central place in American culture and society, also has served as symbolic sites of protest, power, inclusion and discrimination for America’s racial minorities,” Alexander said. “For the past seven years, KU has been at the forefront of this discussion with its annual symposium, and we look forward to continuing our demonstrating leadership in this field and conversation with this year’s spectacular event.”

Blackistone has been an influential voice among African-American writers and editors throughout his journalism and academic career. He has been a longtime columnist at the Boston Globe, Chicago Reporter, Dallas Morning News and the Washington Post, among other positions. Blackistone is a panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn,” a contributor to NPR, the co-author of “A Gift for Ron: Friendship and Sacrifice On and Off the Gridiron,” with Everson Walls.

He is also the co-producer and co-writer of the award-winning documentary “Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting.” Blackistone has received numerous honors and awards for sports column writing and other scholarly works. 

 Past events featured keynote addresses from sports sociologist Harry Edwards, The Nation’s sports editor and author Dave Zirin, author and former New York Times sports columnist William Rhoden, sportswriter Kavitha Davidson, sports historian Lou Moore and award-winning sports columnist and ESPN contributor Claire Smith.

This year’s co-sponsors include the School of Journalism & Mass Communications, the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, KU Native American Initiatives and the KU departments of Health, Sport & Exercise Sciences, History and Political Science.