"The Struggle is Real": The Life History of a Groundbreaking African American, Female Basketball Coach

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to construct the life history of Dana “Pokey” Chatman, a successful African American, female basketball coach. The study was guided by elements from critical race feminism. Data were collected through formal semistructured interviews, informal interviews, and documents and artifacts. They were analyzed through analytic induction and constant comparison. Key findings were that Pokey faced a considerable amount of marginalization and experienced a steady flow of microaggressions with the exception of the time she worked in Eastern Europe. Pokey’s mother, sister, childhood community, love of sport, university teammates, and head coach all played a role in helping her overcome the racism she faced. Pokey’s life history is inspiring and should encourage other women of color who have similar ambitions to persist in their efforts to become sports coaches. It can also be employed in efforts to transform the working environments of African American, female coaches.