Performing diversity: Black bodies in Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions

Abstract

This thesis argues that the Black student experience in Atlantic Canada is explicitly limited by racist practices. Kuwodza further argues that Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions are built on a legacy of systemic racism which sanctions the conscious performance of race. The research delves into the multifaceted issue of the exploitation of Black bodies within Atlantic Canadian higher education through the student-athlete lens. The thesis traces the historical roots of exploitation, and analyzes how colonial legacies, racial biases, and economic disparities have contributed to the marginalization of Black individuals in Atlantic Canadian education and sport. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, Kuwodza draws on sports sociology, racial and literary theory, and cultural studies, to investigate how exploitative practices manifest at various levels of the Black post-secondary student experience.