Smithsonian webcast on sports mascot racism
C. Richard King, professor in critical culture, gender and race studies, will join other commentators, authors and sports representatives for a live broadcast from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on Thursday, Feb. 7.
The event will include a series of panel discussions on racist stereotypes and cultural appropriation in American sports. In particular, the webinar will examine collegiate retirement of Native American sports references and some recent efforts to revive them despite the NCAA’s policy against “hostile and abusive” names and symbols.
King will discuss the origin myths behind mascots as part of the first panel beginning at 7:30 a.m. PST.
The National Museum of the American Indian regularly hosts intellectual and cultural events and symposia that include a select group of scholars and advocates, King said.
For a schedule of topics, list of panel members or to register for the webcast, go to nmai.si.edu/multimedia/webcasts/.
