The 'Hidden Figures' of Physical Education: Black Women Who Paved the Way in PE

The ‘Hidden Figures’ of Physical Education Black Women Who Paved the Way in PE

By Tara B. Blackshear and Brian Culp

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istorically, Black women have been excluded from leadership roles in physical education. Unfortunately, a consistent pattern of exclusion remains evident today. In this article, we shine a spotlight on several Black female educators whose contributions to the physical education field deserve broader recognition.

Trained at the prestigious Harvard Summer School for Physical Education in the late 1800s, Anita J. Turner is the first Black female physical educator on record in the United States. She began teaching physical education — known then as “physical culture” — in Washington, D.C.’s Black public school system in 1893.

Throughout her career, Turner fought for gender and racial equity when Black people, especially women, sought empowerment under overt gendered racism in society and schools. The subjugation of Black women did not prevent her from providing holistic physical education programming for Black children, as she was among the first to advocate for competitive sport and physical activity engagement for Black girls.

Although Turner advanced through her career to become the school system’s director of physical education, her accomplishments are mere footnotes compared to her male and white contemporaries.

Notably, Turner elevated the career of her student E.B. Henderson, putting him on the trajectory of becoming the first certificated Black male physical educator, eventually succeeding her as director of physical education and later becoming widely respected for his contributions to the field.

Turner’s name, meanwhile, is regrettably absent from physical education textbooks, curriculum, and discourse, despite her remarkable contributions to physical education, equity, and social justice. Her hidden role in progressing physical education and social justice is one of many examples of Black women’s contributions to physical education being regulated to the background. (continued on next page)

Photos courtesy of E. B. Henderson Scrapbooks. 1., Howard University

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T H E ‘ H I D D E N F I G U R E S ’ O F P H Y S I C A L E D U C AT I O N (continued) LIGHTING THE PATH Other notable Black female physical educators include Maryrose Reeves Allen, head of Howard University’s Allen Department of Physical Education for Women from 1925-1967. Allen was also founder of the renowned Howard University Dance Ensemble, which trained many dancers who would go on to dance professionally at the highest levels in the United States.

Photo courtesy of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University (Maryrose Reeves Allen Collection)

Maryrose Reeves Allen

During the second half of the 20th century, amid the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Dr. E. Lavonia Allison boldly fought for social justice and

forced integration into the racially segregated North Carolina Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. While battling racial and gendered injustice, she participated in physical education curriculum and development research for the national association, then known as AAHPER. Her advocacy for Black student involvement was evident as she created pathways for Black physical education majors to participate in professional development. At North Carolina Central University, Allison was the undergraduate university advisor of Doris Corbett, a young woman who, in the decades to come, would make lasting contributions to the profession.

By all measures, Dr. Doris R. CorbettJohnson led a phenomenal career.

Recognized for her legendary work in race and gender equity and social justice, in the early 1970s she helped establish the women’s intercollegiate athletic program at Howard University. Notably, she was the first to coach Howard’s women’s basketball team, one year after the enactment of Title IX.

Other Inspirations There are many more Black women in physical education who have created pathways for future generations. Here we include the names of just a few who have had a long-lasting impact: n Dr.

Beverly Barber — HPERD professor and former director of the Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theatre at Florida A&M University

n Dr.

Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson — Professor and founder of the Cultural Studies in Physical Activity Lab at the University of Georgia

n Dr.

Barbara A. Thompson — Professor of HPERD and leader in adapted physical education at Florida A&M University

n Lucinda

Williams Adams — President of the National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE), 1994

n Dr.

Kathryn Gladney Ellis — Prominent physical educator and innovative leader in dance in Detroit, recipient of AHPERD Honor Award, 1986

n Dr.

Dwan Bridges — Kinesiology professor at California State University, diversity and adapted physical education advocate

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Dr. Doris R. Corbett-Johnson

Now retired as professor emeritus at both Howard University and the University of Northern Iowa, Corbett-Johnson was a prolific scholar throughout her career, publishing hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles, giving countless presentations, and achieving national and international acclaim. In 1990, she became the first Black female president of AAHPERD (now SHAPE America).

In 2021, SHAPE America honored Corbett-Johnson’s contributions to the profession with the creation of the Dr. Doris R. Corbett-Johnson Leaders for Our Future Award. When one of the first recipients of the award acknowledged not knowing about Corbett-Johnson’s work before receiving the award, it was a revealing illustration of the invisibility of Black women in physical education spaces.

THE POWER OF REPRESENTATION The importance of representation and the pattern of support extended from one Black female physical educator to another is further reflected in the career of Dr. Camille O’Bryant.

O’Bryant For more than 30 years, O’Bryant has been a leader in confronting racism and sexism and advocating for equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. She has continually worked to elevate Black women in sport, physical activity, and physical education.

In her 2021 Praxis Lecture, Ubuntu: I Am Because You Are, dedicated to Corbett-Johnson and delivered at the annual meeting of the National

Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE), O’Bryant acknowledged Corbett-Johnson and four other Black women (Dorothy Richey, Shirley Houser, Robertha Abney, and

Dr. Camille O’Bryant

Yevonne Smith) who paved the way for her own work in the profession.

O’Bryant shared that the impact of these Black women led her to earn a Ph.D. in sport, leisure, and somatic studies. Her dissertation research focused on Black women in physical education and exposed factors that foster and impede Black women in the field.

In addition to being the first Black person to serve as NAKHE president (2014-2015), in 2015 O’Bryant was also the first Black woman to deliver NAKHE’s Amy Homans Lecture (which was first delivered in 1967). The fact that it took 48 years before a Black woman was selected for this honor further illustrates the marginality of Black women in physical activity spaces.

In her lecture, O’Bryant continued to give “voice and visibility” to Black women in physical education in higher education, including Drs. Alpha Alexander, Robertha Abney, Dorothy Richey, Doris Corbett-Johnson, Yevonne Smith, Nell C. Jackson, Lynette Young Overby, Ketra Armstrong, Jennifer Faison Hodge, Dwan Bridges, Sarah Price, and Ms. Lucinda Adams.

RECENT TRENDS Even within the last few years, we continue to see Black female physical educators who are “the first” or second with regard to various

professional accomplishments, further highlighting the continual patterns of marginalization.

For example, in 2018 Kennedra Tucker was the first Black woman to receive SHAPE Maryland’s Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year award, and in 2019 LaDonda Porter was the first Black woman to be named Kentucky’s Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

Porter would go on to receive a District Teacher of the Year award from SHAPE America the following year. Perhaps change is on the horizon, however, as Crystal Williams was named the Southern District Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year in 2021.

All of these women are leaders and advocates in physical education and have made significant contributions to the profession and students. While these recent acknowledgments are positive trends, keep in mind that a Black woman has yet to receive a SHAPE America National Teacher of the Year award.

INCREASING VISIBILITY IN PE It is disappointing that in the 21st century, Black women in physical education are still breaking down barriers similar to those of the 19th and 20th centuries, despite their contributions to advancing the field.

Physical education needs better representation of Black women to foster recruitment and retention pipelines.

Unfortunately, recruitment efforts are ineffective and do not garner results due to mechanisms designed to keep Black women out, in particular misogynoir (“the specific hatred, dislike, distrust, and prejudice directed toward Black women”).

Rather than initiating recruitment practices in physical education teacher education (PETE) programs, where Black women are missing, intentional efforts should occur in K-12 physical education standards, curricula, programs, and among teachers. When Black girls do not see themselves reflected in physical education

Learn More n

Anita J. Turner (ca. 1870–1941)

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aryrose Reeves Allen M (1899–1992)

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r. E. Lavonia Allison D (ca. 1930–)

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r. Doris Corbett-Johnson D (1947–)

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Dr. Camille O’Bryant (1961–)

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laying for Equality: P Oral Histories of Women Leaders in the Early Years of Title IX

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triving to Be in the S Profession and of It: The African American Experience in Physical Education and Kinesiology

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inorities in Sport: M Educational Opportunities Affect Representation

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Eliminating Barriers to Physical Activity: Using Cultural Negotiation and Competence

standards, lessons, physical education programming or leadership, they get the message that they do not matter in a field that professes fair play.

Here are several examples of actions that will help provide opportunities for Black girls to engage in physical activity spaces and consider careers in physical education: • I ncrease K-12 physical education opportunities, as physical education programs are more likely to be cut in predominantly Black schools compared to predominantly White schools.

• L isten to Black female voices (students, parents, teachers, scholars) on what they need — and implement their suggestions. (continued on next page) Winter 2022 • Momentum

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T H E ‘ H I D D E N F I G U R E S ’ O F P H Y S I C A L E D U C AT I O N (continued) • Invite and pay Black female educators to help design anti-racist standards, curricula, and activities, and identify and eradicate current exclusionary policies and practices embedded throughout physical education frameworks.

• Affirm Black girls and share opportunities, benefits, and pathways to become a physical educator, including funding and scholarship opportunities;

• Hold educators and administrators accountable who have consistently shown to engage in oppressive, punitive behaviors when teaching Black girls.

• Uphold, celebrate, and archive Black women’s contributions in physical education to establish accessible records of their achievements.

Let this article serve as a tribute to the unseen Black women in physical education who thrive against all odds.

We can increase visibility and take meaningful actions to move Black women beyond the status quo. However, elevating Black girls and women in physical education will only occur when people have the courage and moral compass to do so.

Tara B. Blackshear, Ed.D., is an equity scholar who specializes in health, physical activity, and education. She is an assistant professor of kinesiology in physical education teacher education at Towson University. She can be reached at tblackshear@towson.edu. Follow her on Twitter @TaraBlackshear.

Brian Culp, Ed.D., is a professor and department chair in the WellStar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University. He can be reached at bculp1@kennesaw.edu. Follow him on Twitter @CultureNmotion.

Critical Race Studies in Physical Education Available Spring 2022

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hysical education needs meaningful representation for Black youth. The predominant existing narrative offers two inescapable extremes: the carefree, gifted athlete or the fat and inactive malcontent.

As Black scholars, we are committed to equity, social justice, and anti-racist education with intentions to foster cultural awareness and competencies among PE faculty and teacher candidates. The intentional focus on culturally relevant topics must occur to aid in moving transformative racial justice in education forward.

Our new book, Critical Race Studies in Physical Education, centers Black youth and the complexities of Black culture into the conversation.

Amid the continued dehumanization of Blackness in American communities, Black Lives Matter and related movements have incited a renewed focus on the inequities and social injustices Black people encounter in all facets of society.

Schools are no exception, because these sites are places where youth spend a large amount of time navigating attitudes, curriculum requirements, extracurricular activities, and social interactions.

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While the national and international dialogue for Black lives has gained traction, the attention to Black lives in physical education is still perilously and noticeably silent.

Consequently, we created this text to elevate Black youth and to normalize positive experiences for Black students in physical education. This text has three aims: n To

provide culturally aware teaching strategies that affirm the worth of Black students;

n To

amplify critical issues that negatively affect Black students; and

n To

address the litany of intentional and covert racist practices directed toward Black youth.

The book is geared to undergraduate and graduate PETE students and in-service teachers, and you’ll find it is also a useful tool for professional development of K-12 physical education teachers and staff working in activity and sport-related community programs.

We hope that this text provides guidance and a foundation for change.

Tara B. Blackshear

Brian Culp