Expanding the Single Story: Black Female Athlete Experiences Playing Country Club Sports at a Predominantly White Institution

Informed by interdisciplinary critical legal theories, this is a critical qualitative study that used a critical methodological approach to visual methods and narrative inquiry to identify and understand the experience of Black female student athletes playing sports other than basketball and track at a NCAA Division I Predominantly White Institution. This study sheds light on how they understand their own identity and the political, social, and legal power and oppression that influences their sport choices, learning, competition, and social environments. Ultimately, the study aims to give voice to these experiences, and facilitate the overarching social change of getting society closer to realizing the promise of Title IX for all students.;For this study, eight Black female college athletes participate in this study consisting of two 20--60 minute interviews. They participated in six sports, de-identified as water, indoor, and field sports. Their interviews were transcribes and reorganized as stories. Their transcripts were also coded for inductive and deductive codes. Validity was ensured through member checks and positionality reflection. Seven themes emerged, revealing that precollege club team participation influenced all participants' access to and transition into college, all participants experienced identity-based microaggressions since entering college, discussions about hair unlocked complex reflections about the participants' intersectional identity, participants report spending a majority of their time on intercollegiate athletic activity, no participant voluntarily mentioned their sexuality, participants expressed an array of status with respect to self-authorship and Black Identity development, and overall, all the participants all described their experience as positive. Based on these findings, the implications for practitioners are to prioritize mentorship opportunities, to adopt diversity and inclusion climate ideology, and to develop an explicit message of belonging for students.;The study begins with a foreword, introduction, and statement of the problem, followed by an explanation of critical theory and how it applies to identity studies, law, and education. Next, the study reviews extant literature, discusses conceptual frameworks of student development and intersectionality. Finally, the study's method, findings, discussion and opportunities for future research are discussed.