The Damaging Effects of Intersectionality and Layers of Oppression on United States Female Soccer Players

Abstract

Black athletes face structural and overt racism in all sports across the country, in which the majority of White Americans either chooses to ignore or sometimes even use to victimize certain athletes. They are discriminated against because of the color of their skin, despite achieving the same levels of success and fame as their white competitors. Black athletes must work harder than white athletes for the same end goal, not because of any sort of athletic disadvantage, but because of racial injustice and intolerance. Soccer is a prime example of how Black athletes face racism in sport. Black female soccer players, however, face many more layers of oppression compared to not only Black male soccer players, but also their female counterparts. The lack of representation and involvement of Black female athlete in the sport of soccer shows the repercussions of these layers of oppression. The sport of soccer favors male athletes and their success, caters to middle- and upper-class families and individuals, and structural racism within athletics prefers white athletes