The Necessity for a Womanist Sports Ethic of Care

In the 1989 book *White Women's Christ and Black Women's Jesus*, Jacquelyn Grant critiques feminist theology and Christology because of their blind eye to the intersectionality of Black women, their perspectives of Jesus, and their experiences in the Church. Grant states that feminist theology not only mirrors white androcentric theology, but she also points out its inherent racism. Grant's criticism of feminist theology and her methodology of contextualizing the experiences of Black women paved the way for future womanist scholars to explore how womanist theology can lead to wholistic care and a path toward full liberation for Black women. In 1999, Carroll A. Watkins Ali wrote *Survival & Liberation: Pastoral Theology in African American Context*, which also articulated how traditional white pastoral theology and spiritual care are inadequate to address the needs of Black people, specifically Black women. Pastoral theology sometimes seeks to address individuals with a "one-size-fits-all" approach without considering the implications of social injustices that impact one's community. The survival and liberation for Black women are tied to the entire community, a theme emphasized in Alice Walker's four-part definition of womanism: "committed to the survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female."

Black women athletes in college and professional sports often encounter chaplains, pastors, and national Christian sports organizations that continue the practices of their white ancestors– including feminist theology, Christology, and pastoral care. Historically and presently, Black women's bodies have been commodities and seen and used as tools for production, even in sports, a type of physical labor. Many Black women have resorted to and processed this intergenerational trauma by wearing the "Strong Black Woman" cape. This "cape" takes on a different dimension for Black women athletes. 

Methodologies used in womanist ethics include the use of sociological analysis and ethnography. These methods empower womanist scholars to take "seriously the task of liberation" of the Black community by examining the lives of Black women from their perspectives. In Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas' book,  *Mining the Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics *(2006), she speaks to this sociological analysis by using five tasks for Black female liberation, and– she engages in three dimensions of ethical analysis to interpret and transform the *Lebenswelt* of people of African descent. When considering the lived experiences of Black women athletes, questions that arise for me include: How can womanist ethics and womanist theology better serve and attend to the spiritual needs of Black women athletes? How do you care for Black women athletes who desire and need to be strong– physically, mentally, and spiritually for their sport? How can it inspire womanist athletes to feel committed to the survival and liberation of their communities? In response, I engage womanist theology and womanist ethics methodologies from scholars such as Grant, Ali, and Floyd-Thomas to examine the experiences of Black women athletes. This presentation entitled "The Necessity for a Womanist Sports Ethic of Care" is my attempt, in the words of Emile Townes, "To heal the wounded spirit" of Black Women Athletes who have experienced racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in sports. 

Regardless of religion or faith tradition, Black women athletes sacrifice the tending of their souls for the sake of their sport. Much of sports involves the revolving cycle of practice, performance, rest, and recovery. However, little attention is given to the spiritual care of athletes, let alone Black women athletes who face great scrutiny from coaches, players, opponents, fans, and media. To be Black, a woman, and a professional athlete is a different trifecta. There is no escaping the possibilities of mental, physical, or spiritual injury by way of social injustices, discrimination, and oppressive systems. Womanism and womanist theology have offered Black women spiritual practices that can lead to self-compassion, self-love, and healing. I will argue that Black women athletes who engage in spirituality may need a different type of spiritual care that can complement their passion for sports. Lastly, my purpose for the presentation is to take seriously the opportunity to create an ethic of care that can be culturally relevant and sport-specific for those participating in athletics. In doing so, I plan to explore and expand the toolbox of spiritual care practices in the African American community and encourage more research into the spiritual lives of college and professional athletes.

This project intends to highlight the necessity for a Womanist Sports Ethic of Care to a broad audience by focusing on the following: (1) First, inform how white supremacy and modern science have perpetuated harm against Black women's bodies, (2) second, demonstrate the implications of the "Strong Black Woman" trope and how they present differently in society for Black women athletes. (3) Third, engage in womanist theology and ethics to show how it can develop a Womanist Sports Ethic of Care framework that can lead to practical application.

Bibliography

Ali, Carroll A. Watkins. *Survival & Liberation: Pastoral Theology in African American Context*. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999.

Douglas, Kelly Brown. *Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God*. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2015.

Floyd-Thomas, Stacey M.  *Mining the Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics*. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2006.

Fry, Mary D., and E. Whitney G. Moore. “Motivation in Sport: Theory and Application.” In APA Handbook of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 1: Sport Psychology., Vol. 1., 273–99. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2019. doi:10.1037/0000123-015.

Hall, Coral. "Criticized for lashes and nails, Black women's basketball players embrace self-expression," Knox News Sentinel, February 27, 2023. 

Walker-Barnes, Chanequa. *Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength*. Eugene: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2014. 

Williams, Serena. *Serena Williams: On the Line.* New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2009.