A critical race case study exploration of two Black male student-athletes’ STEM career development

ABSTRACT Black males are overrepresented in sports. A dominant narrative exists that positions Black male student-athletes (BMSA), especially in high-revenue college sports, as academically underachieving and narrowly focused on professional sports contracts. Structural and social factors contribute to this narrative. In this study, we push back against the false dichotomy between academics and athletics for BMSA. This is even more critical in our twenty-first-century society where scientific literacy and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are key resources for empowerment. BMSA’s exclusion from STEM is examined from a critical race STEM education perspective. With a case study design, counter-storytelling was employed to explore the STEM career development experiences of two BMSA. Uncovered were counter-stories of agency and academic responsibility, as well as challenges of isolation, balance, and enculturation. Personalized social support and critical consciousness were discussed as potential defenses against enculturation, including when BMSA are counseled out of STEM.