Resolutions


Resolution on Racialized Mascots

At the 2017 NASSH Business Meeting, the membership of the North American Society for Sport History resolved the following:

  • RESOLVED, that the North American Society for Sport History condemns the continued use of racist stereotype images, logos and mascots in sports and institutions of education; and be it
  • RESOLVED, that the North American Society for Sport History hereby opposes the use of racialized Indigenous images, logos, names, and mascots in sport for both commercial and educational purposes.

For the complete resolution, please download the linked PDF.

The resolution was constructed by an ad hoc committee chaired by Victoria Paraschak, and including Christine O’Bonsawin, Gabe Logan, and Jennifer Guiliano.

For further literature on the topic of racialized mascots, see  The Fascination and Frustration with Native Americans.

Statement in Support of and in Solidarity with Dr. Johanna Mellis and Dr. Nathan Kalman-Lamb

The Executive Council of the North American Society for Sport History stands in support of and in solidarity with Dr. Johanna Mellis and Dr. Nathan Kalman-Lamb. They, in a good faith Twitter exchange about American college sport, experienced bullying from ESPN radio host Dan Dakich that escalated to   doxxing and sexual harassment on his radio show. We offer our colleagues support with the following statement.   

“The Executive Council of the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) stands in support and solidarity with all those who are subjected to intimidation, incivility, and harassment. Regrettably, such behaviors are not and have not been unusual in the world of sport. Scholars with public-facing work ought to be able to engage with the larger community, whether digitally or in-person, without fear of harassment. NASSH supports an open exchange of ideas, including disagreement, and we stand against targeted harassment of all kinds, including sexual harassment, doxxing, and bullying. We particularly stand against misogynistic and sexist abuse. Such behaviors perpetuate harm and serve to silence critics, which is antithetical to the scholarly mission of our society. NASSH seeks to support its members, and we stand with all of our colleagues who are subjected to such attacks.” 

Executive Council, NASSH


Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter

The North American Society for Sport History (NASSH), a proud and thriving organization dedicated to the scholarly study and promotion of the history of sport, is set to celebrate its 50 years of existence in Columbus, Ohio in 2022. As excited as members are about this significant milestone in the organization’s history, a milestone that will be marked by a number of special activities and events, the NASSH Executive Council recognizes that a celebration of this type must coincide with a public recognition of the colonialism, racial inequality, injustice, and white privilege permeating North American culture. We are deeply troubled by the recent deaths of unarmed Black and Indigenous men and women, continued racism across North America, and persistence of police brutality evidenced on an almost daily basis.

Of many recent frightening images, the videos of a helpless Black man lying on the ground crying for his mother while having life literally sucked out of him by the pressure exerted from a policeman’s knee, a 26 year old Indigenous woman shot and killed after police were called on a ‘wellness check’ and the deadly police shooting of a young Black female emergency room technician while sitting in her apartment have been horrific. They are stark reminders of the genocide and displacement of the Indigenous peoples, the enslavement of Black people and the ongoing legacy of racial inequality and discrimination that have been carried out in North America since the first arrival of the Europeans more than five centuries ago.

It is apparent that North Americans have failed to live up to our democratic ideals, devoting far too little attention to the systemic racism and colonialism that has resulted in the senseless deaths of Black, and Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and negatively impacted every institution in our countries. . The great Black intellectual and activist W.E.B. DuBois was absolutely correct when he noted, initially at the First Pan-African Conference in London in 1900 and then more famously three years later in his The Souls of Black Folk, that “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” What he could not have anticipated is that the problem would persist into the twenty-first century. The recent spate of violence perpetuated against Black and Indigenous people has galvanized individuals and groups representing various colors, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation, occupations, religious affiliations, and political parties into an extremely large and powerful and energized Black Lives Matter movement. BLM aligns with and reinforces the Indigenous Idle No More movement. Organized rallies and marches in cities large and small across the United States, Canada and Mexico have been held to protest racial violence and discrimination. Sparked by the deaths of defenseless Black and Indigenous men and women in North America, protests reflecting the increasing anger over police treatment of Black and Indigenous people and different ethnic minorities have been staged in such culturally diverse places around the world as Berlin, Brisbane, London, Paris, Hamburg, and Tokyo. But these protests and the political energy they generate must be turned into corrective action.

The Executive Council of the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) stands in support and solidarity with all those who are subjected to intimidation, incivility, and harassment. Regrettably, such behaviors are not and have not been unusual in the world of sport. Scholars with public-facing work ought to be able to engage with the larger community, whether digitally or in-person, without fear of harassment. NASSH supports an open exchange of ideas, including disagreement, and we stand against targeted harassment of all kinds, including sexual harassment, doxxing, and bullying. We particularly stand against misogynistic and sexist abuse. Such behaviors perpetuate harm and serve to silence critics, which is antithetical to the scholarly mission of our society. NASSH seeks to support its members, and we stand with all of our colleagues who are subjected to such attacks.” 

David K. Wiggins, NASSH President

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia, USA