Meet Shaun Anderson of Chapel Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaun Anderson

Hi Shaun, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Pine Bluff, AR, to humble beginnings. Despite a life of poverty, I always knew that I was meant to be something great. I initially wanted to be either a sports broadcaster or a sports lawyer. I stayed in the realm of sports but never knew it would be through academics. I now serve as the John S. and James L. Knight Chair of Sports, Race, and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this role, I serve as the nation’s leading expert on sports impact on society.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I come from a very blue-collar family. My mom was a janitor. She, my sisters, and I lived with my grandparents. My grandfather was a factory worker who made $5000.00 a year. My grandmother was a homemaker who raised 11 children. Both of them only had an eighth-grade education. My grandfather died when I was young, and my mother relied on me to be the man of the house. However, there were bouts of homelessness, poverty, mental abuse, insect/rodent infestations, and no running water, among other things, that led to various struggles throughout life. Also, I did not know my father. Not having a roadmap to success early led to my struggling with finances. I had several car repossessions, credit card mishaps, and more bouts of homelessness. But through it all, I have been able to pull through and move towards fulfilling my destiny.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In December 2024, I accepted a position as the John S. and James L. Knight Chair of Sports, Race, and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this role, I serve as the nation’s leading expert on how we could use the power of sport to challenge the pressing social issues of our time. Previously, I was the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Loyola Marymount University. I was there for eight years.

I have written several papers and chapters for peer-reviewed academic journals, books, and popular press outlets. I have also consulted for several organizations, including Nike, MLB, PBS, Athletic Greens, Better, and other organizations. This work culminated in my writing the bestselling book The Black Athlete Revolt: The Sport Justice Movement in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023). Before its release, it was praised as one of the most anticipated books of 2023 by Kirkus Review, Publisher’s Weekly, The Booklist, and the Sports Business Journal. I have made appearances on ESPN, The Tavis Smiley Show, and other outlets.

However, what I am most proud of is the amount of time that it has taken to become a named chair in academia. Usually, when you earn a named academic position, it is after decades of scholarly, creative, and/or teaching achievements. I earned my position after only eight years. This speaks to the amount of work, dedication, and support that I have received from others to achieve this type of position so early in my career. I am thankful to all who paved the way for me!

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
One of the main things I’ve learned during that time was, why do we rush so much in life? For the first time in decades, the world slowed down. We tended to our loved ones, strangers, and all those in between. We had to learn to heal physically and mentally, we had to sit and reflect, we had to mourn, we had to pick up the pieces, we had to move forward. But most of all, we had to sit. We had to sit and reflect on those aspects of life that we kept avoiding. We had to recover, we had to grow, we had to learn, we had to do, all while sitting. Many of us may have pondered that age-old “what is the meaning of life” question more than we’d like to admit. Through it all, it recalibrated me to focus on the “day-to-day” instead of worrying so much about tomorrow and next week.

Pricing:

• The Black Athlete Revolt – Amazon ($34.00)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shaunmarqanderson.com
• Instagram: @smandersonphd
• LinkedIn: Shaun Marq Anderson, PhD
• Twitter: @smandersonphd
• Other: https://shorturl.at/HsTMq