Defesa para além das quadras: Bill Russell e o ativismo de atletas negros da NBA nos movimentos pelos direitos civis nos Estados Unidos (1950-1970)

Abstract

This work has the objective of analyzing the Civil Rights Movements in the United States of America in the 50s and 60s through the activism of professional black basketball players. For that, the work uses the case of Bill Russell, a player for the Boston Celtics , to comprehend the ways of acting of these athletes inside and outside the NBA. The research was divided into three parts. First, the historical context is presented in a chapter based on a bibliographic research. Subsequently, adopting the same methodology, it is shown how basketball’s emergence and professionalization occurred, as well as the importance that it carries for the comprehension of American society and black identity. Finally, a qualitative documentary research of The New York Times reports obtained through the Times Machine repository was made. The choice of the sources was made based on the occurrences of the name “Bill Russell” in the period of time that the athlete was active in the NBA (1956-1969) and the analysis was supported in theoretical studies about race and identity. As a result, the findings demonstrate how basketball accompanies the social changes that occurred in American society, being a very important space for the black representation and resistance in the US. Russell's case allows the understanding of the role that a prominent athlete in the NBA assumes beyond basketball, becoming a figure that influences politically and culturally the black community. The NBA, therefore, is portrayed not merely as a sports institution, but as a space of social disputes, where references are built and possibilities are open.