Dr. Amira Rose Davis

Bet on Her: Dr. Amira Rose Davis on Soul-Searching and the Hidden History of Black Women Athletes

By Tenley Jackson | Social Media Intern

March 3, 2023

Dr. Amira Rose Davis became a teen mom in her sophomore year at Temple University. 

“Everybody around me assumed, oh, you're gonna drop out, you're gonna drop out. And instead, I said no, this is actually just what I need to continue,”  Davis said. 

Despite discouraging voices around her, Davis has proven again and again that teen mothers can absolutely accomplish all they set out to do. 

Today, she is an assistant professor of African and African Diaspora Studies and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies. She also contributes to the news outlets NPR, ESPN, and BBC, and currently co-hosts the feminist sports podcasts “Burn it All Down” and” American Prodigies”. Lately, her attention is centered on completing her first book, “‘Can’t Eat a Medal’: The Lives and Labors of Black Women Athletes in the Age of Jim Crow”. 

Her journey bringing light to Black women in sports all started with her first-year paper as a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University.

“I knew that I wanted to write about race and sports in the mid-20th century,” Davis explained, “so I started writing about Negro League baseball. And while I was doing that, I found three Black women in the archives who played baseball with the men in the Negro Leagues.”

As Dr. Davis’ brilliant work reveals, Black women played a powerful role in American athletics— a role that has been shrouded by history, laid to rest in dusty university archives. When Dr. Davis explored those archives, she uncovered troves of Black womens’ stories which she knew deserved to be told. 

“I look back at Black women before Title IV,  from the start of the 20th century up until the 1970s, really considering the way that they work as athletes,” Davis described. “I also look at how they work as symbols, and what I call the ‘symbolic burden’ that they carry.”

This ‘symbolic burden’ braced on the backs of Black female athletes inspired Davis’ new book title, “‘Can’t Eat a Medal’”. Davis revealed that this phrase is drawn from 1950s tennis player Althea Gibson's assertion, "He called me the queen of the court, but I can't eat a crown.” 

As a parenting student and adoptee herself, Davis faced barriers on the road to academic and professional success. Her experiences led to advocacy about adoption, teen parenthood, and equity and justice in higher education. 

“Of course, there’s going to be challenges,” Davis said, "but rising to meet those challenges and understanding what we can build systematically to support non-traditional students means a lot to me.”

Davis’ work as a scholar, writer, and speaker thrive under a passion for developing the tools that made her incredible story possible. Day after day, she continues to challenge traditional presentations of college students, intellect, and success. 

“People who just threw out the ideas of who could be a college student, or what intellect looks like, what success looks like were integral to me  staying in school and then going into a Ph. D. program— I know that that is something that really helped my journey.” 

In Davis’ circle, deep lines of support between women continue to uplift her. 

“I have a huge network of people, especially Black women historians, who have been my foundation and fortification.” Here at UT, Davis lists her support system as her department heads in the College of Liberal Arts, who “ demonstrate such love and energy around investment in each other's success.”

Davis strives to pass on that same love and energy to the community of Black women and beyond at UT, encouraging students to embrace the opportunities and support available to them. 

“I found that you have to do it your own way, and link up with people who will remind you who you are,” Davis said, “even when the voices in your head are telling you a different story.”