27 | The NFL’s Racist Race-Norming and Brotherhood and Anti-Blackness in College Football with Dr. Tracie Canada

Miguel spoke to Dr. Tracie Canada (@tracie_canada) this week, a socio-cultural anthropologist and assistant professor at Notre Dame (Department of Anthropology and Africana Studies). Dr. Canada’s ethnographic research uses sport to theorize race, kinship and care, gender, and the performing body. Her work focuses on the lived experiences of Black football players. Dr. Canada is currently working on her first book, “Tackling the Everyday: Race, Family, and Nation in Big-Time College Football.” 
 
First, Miguel asked Dr. Canada about her two recent articles, “The NFL’s Racist ‘Race Norming’ Is an Afterlife of Slavery” and “Brotherhood and Anti-Blackness in College Football.” Next, Dr. Canada explained the practice of race-norming and how the NFL used it against former players impacted by brain trauma during their playing career. Additionally, Miguel and Dr. Tracy Canada discuss the lawsuit by former NFL players Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport against the NFL, who accused the NFL of “explicitly and deliberately” discriminating against them and black players filing dementia-related claims. 

Dr. Canada also explained how race-norming is an afterlife of slavery, and Miguel and Dr. Canada discussed how injuries and concussions are structurally crucial to the NFL as a business. Lastly, as one cultural anthropologist to another, Miguel asked Dr. Canada why Miami Dolphins rookie WR Jaylen Waddle’s draft-day press conference caught her attention and the difference between football teammates and football brothers. Note: Originally recorded on September 2, 2021. 
 
 Next, Miguel gives you his Molotov MVPs for episode 27, former NFL running back Najeh Davenport and former NFL linebacker Kevin Henry. Finally, Miguel ends the podcast with another Chicana/o Sports History segment. This week, he highlights the 2021 NFL Hall of Fame Inductee and the first Mexican/Chicano and Latino Head Coach to win a Super Bowl, Raiders legendary Head Coach Tom Flores! 

Miguel Garcia produced this episode. Sports As A Weapon is now part of the @Anticonquista Collective Network. Check out Anticonquista on YouTube and Instagram!

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Miguel Garcia produced this episode. The Sports As A Weapon Podcast is part of the @Anticonquista Media Collective. Subscribe to the ANTICONQUISTA Patreon and follow ANTICONQUISTA on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok!

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