(Part III): When the Gatekeepers Play the Game: The System of Whiteness and the Performance of Power in Sports

In this episode of the The SportsCrit™ Lab Podcast, its part two of the breakdown of the Critical Race Theory Tenet"Whiteness as Property" and Sportscrit tenet "The System of Whiteness get the Jersey, Locker and Legacy", Host and mind behind SportsCrit, Dr. Gyasmine George‑Williams (Dr. G) unpacks the recent denial of her course rooted in race, sport, and social justice — and situates that moment within the broader framework of institutional resistance, performance of equity, and the maintenance of power. We explore the concept of the “Property Performer,” examine how sport becomes a venue for controlling knowledge and narratives, and invite listeners to reflect on what it means to claim, teach, and transform sport through a justice lens.Key ThemesThe rejection of her course as a case study in institutional barriers to justice-oriented curriculaThe notion of the “Property Performer” — those who perform allyship or inclusion but protect power and access behind the scenesSport as a field of struggle: who has access to the playbook, who writes the rules, and who gets excludedHow educators, students, and athletes can recognize these dynamics and begin to rewrite the game with intentionA call to action: using pedagogy, scholarship, and praxis to disrupt the status quo rather than passively accept itTimestamp Breakdown (estimates)00:00 – Intro sequence: setting the stage, framing the terrain02:15 – Why the rejection of Dr G's course matters: institutional context09:30 – Introducing the “Property Performer” concept15:40 – Sport and property logic: mapping access, ownership, and exclusion22:10 – Case studies: sport media, athlete labor, institutional gatekeeping30:05 – What this means for students, educators, athletes36:50 – Closing reflections and call to action39:20 – Outro and next stepsRecommended References & Further ReadingCheryl I. Harris. “Whiteness as Property.” Harvard Law Review, 106(8), 1993.Kimberlé Crenshaw. “Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique…” University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989.Critical Race Theory: An Introduction (3rd ed.) by Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic.