Dr. Lauren Anderson | Sports And Protest

NFL Quarterback Colin Capernick took a knee during the national anthem, Olympic medalists John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fists on the podium, and basketball legend LeBron James refused to shut up and dribble. How do professional sports and social activism intertwine, and what impact do sports continue to have on the ongoing struggle to build a more equitable world? ABOUT OUR GUEST... Lauren Anderson earned her Ph.D. in Communication at Florida State University, with a cognate in Sports Management. Her research and publications focus largely on media representations of gender and race in sport, as well as the ways in which media shapes social and cultural values and (re)produces dominant ideologies. Currently, Lauren is working on a book project on media coverage of domestic violence in sport, as well as a critical media analysis of mainstream media coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death. A critical scholar at heart, her research agenda is driven by a desire for social change, which is also a large focus in her classroom teachings. Lauren has been actively involved in the field of Sports Communication for the past seven years, presenting research at the annual summit for the International Association of Communication and Sport and the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, as well as the sports communication divisions of AEJMC and NCA. Lauren is also an avid sports fan. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, you can always find her cheering on the Bears, Cubs, Bulls, and Blackhawks.