February 2, 2011
^"Portland observer
IN S ID E
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B lack H istory
page 5-6,22
Local professor challenges notions of progress
C alendar
S ports
Sports Culture and Race
Thabiti Lewis, associate pro
fessor in the College o f Liberal
Arts at W ashington State Univer
sity Vancouver, has published a
book challenging the notion that
sports culture is a pioneer for
racial progress.
"Bailers o f the New School:
Race and Sports in America" is a
thought-p ro v o k in g analysis o f
m inorities in the sports industry
that critically re-exam ines the
m ythologies and social uplift nar
ratives that dom inate our culture.
Sports are often hailed as a
w ay fo r m in o rity a th lete s to
achieve fame and wealth. In his
book, L ew is d eco n stru cts the
Cinderella story o f scoring big in
the m ajor leagues and asks why
there is little m inority representa
tion at the corporate level.
Lewis contends that American
sports have not contributed to
racial progress as m uch as our
culture has been led to believe.
"This is more media spin than
truth. It's a figm ent o f im agina
tion aided by m odem technology
arm ed with 24-hour sports re
porting, unlim ited sports televi
sion channels and a culture that
cultivates anti-intellectualism ,"
said Lewis.
"Bailers o f the New School: Race
and Sports in America" begins with
Thabiti Lewis
a "Letter to My Cousin," which
serves as a guidance letter to
Lewis's own cousin as well as to
any young person who aspires to a
career in professional sports. He
goes on to explain how a majority
o f black collegiate athletes are ex
ploited by the sports industry with
little compensation and often with
out the education promised with
their scholarships. Lewis then chal
lenges readers to view the sports
industry with a keen eye on hiring
opportunities and racial equality on
and off the playing field.
"I am challenging people o f all
ages, races and ethnicity to be
what I call a 'true bailer' or 'Bailer of
the New School,' which is intellec
tual, critical, innovative and un
afraid to challenge the flawed affir
mative action, and post race narra
tives we are bombarded with daily.
Through essays, my book exam
ines how racist sports media cov
erage perpetuates, rather than alle
viates, racial tensions in our soci
ety. I want readers to understand
that the icons they see are not the
norm and do not reflect the dire
social, educational and economic
status o f many people o f color in
America," said Lewis.
Lewis lectures widely on top
ics such as hip-hop, film, black
m asculinity, race and sports in
America. He has been a colum nist
and freelan ce w rite r fo r The
Source, the St. Louis Am erican
and N ew s One. His w ork has
appeared in several book antholo
gies and in publications such as
M osaic Literary M agazine, O r
egon Hum anities, Crisis M aga
zine, the St. Louis Post-D ispatch
and Am eriQuests.
L ew is's book to u r in clu d es
stops in Philadelphia, Seattle, Iowa
City, Iowa, and Kansas City, Mo.
He will discuss his work and sign
copies o f his book at 12 p.m.
M arch 1 in the W SU V ancouver
library.
"Bailers o f the N ew School:
Race and Sports in A m erica" is
available through T he B ookie,
Borders, Pow ell's Books, Third
W orld Press, A m azon and his
website, T habitiL ew is.com .
page 16
Governor Hires Rights Advocate
O pinion
pages 18-19
C lassifieds
page 24
F ood
page 20-22
Gov. John K itzhaber has hired
an Oregon attorney with a civil
rights and victim rights record as
his general counsel.
Liani Reeves received both her
undergraduate and law degrees
from W illam ette University. She
has worked at the Oregon De
partm ent o f Justice in many ca
p acities, m ost recen tly as the
deputy chief trial counsel. She’s
also served as an attorney for the
National Crim e Victim Law Insti
tute to prom ote, advance and en
force crim e victims' rights.
Reeves served as the co-chair
o f the Oregon M inority Lawyers
A ssociation from 2002-2008. She Liani Reeves
received the Rev. M artin Luther
K in g Jr. A w a rd fro m th e
W illam ette University College o f
Law honoring work and dedica
tion toward the ideals o f equal
civil and human rights and was
recognized as an up and com ing
leader by the Portland Business
Journal. She m entors law stu
dents and has been nam ed M en
tor o f the Year by both W illam ette
and Lewis & Clark College.
“W orking as the G overnor's
general counsel allow s me to con
tinue in public service working on
issues w ith broad im plications
th r o u g h o u t th e s t a te ,” sa id
Reeves.