From Ora to A’ja: A Disquisition of Dominance and Erasure in the History of Black Women in Basketball

Abstract

Recounted through a hybrid writing style, incorporating documentary storytelling methods, as well as more traditional academic research, this thesis examines Black women’s history in basketball as a microcosm of the greater socio-political history of the United States. Through three poignant time periods, this work depicts Black women’s dominance and contradictory media representation in the sport. I argue that the amount and type of coverage these women receive, in real time and historically, mirrors the broader sociopolitical environment in the United States, ultimately fostering and nurturing their institutional erasure. In documenting this phenomenon, it is my active intention not only to highlight the systemic racism that repeatedly subjugates and oppresses Black women, but also to shine much deserved light on the impressive and inspirational under-told stories of some of these amazing women. Keywords: erasure, Black women, women’s basketball, media representation, Ora Washington, Pearl Moore, Lusia Harris, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark.