Work

Black Fugitivity in the Sporting Workplace: The Story of Eniola Aluko

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Being a Black fugitive involves constant movement: to find and cultivate spaces of safety and hope. In this paper, I curate a sporting archive about the UK Black women's elite football player Eniola Aluko to read her as a Black fugitive. I demonstrate how she traversed a racist and anti‐Black sporting workplace—where she was unfairly demonized and policed by White male guardians of the women's game as well as her fellow White women team‐mates—to find spaces of self‐care, solidarity, and career satisfaction. This article provides new knowledge about the sporting workplace relevant to feminist and antiracist scholars in and beyond the U.K. who want to understand how Black women understand, navigate, and transcend discriminatory workplace environments.

Source: Gender Work and Organization

DOI: 10.1111/gwao.70157

Author: Aarti Ratna

Institution: Northumbria University

Language: English

Topic: Sports, Gender, and Society

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,880