Why are there no Black majority-owned teams in the NBA?

+ will Bibi's career survive this political disaster? US Edition - Today's top story: A century ago, a Black-owned team ruled basketball − today, no Black majority owners remain [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( The NBA began the 2023-24 season last month with no Black majority-owned franchises for the first time in 20 years. As University of Colorado Boulder media scholar Jared Bahir Browsh points out, this lack of diversity is particularly galling given that 70% of NBA players are Black. It wasn’t always this way. Though the NBA has had only one Black majority-owned franchise – along with a few Black minority owners – there’s a rich history of Black-owned teams prior to the emergence of the NBA. Browsh takes readers to Harlem’s Renaissance Ballroom & Casino, where Black businessman [Bob Douglas and his New York Rens competed for 25 years](. Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of the team’s first game, and the Rens would go on to dominate basketball in the 1920s and 1930s – at one point ripping off an 88-game win streak. In an era ripe with the exploitation of Black athletes, Browsh writes that owners like Douglas “saw an opportunity to support Black communities through sports by keeping talent – and money – from exclusively lining the pockets of white owners.” This week we also liked articles about [Chinese diplomacy in the Middle East](, why the [concept of asteroid mining]( is so alluring, and evidence that [kids benefit from having “secure attachments” to two parents]( rather than just their moms. Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor The New York Rens played from 1923 to 1948. Black History Heroes/Twitter [A century ago, a Black-owned team ruled basketball − today, no Black majority owners remain]( Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder Led by a Black businessman named Bob Douglas, the New York Rens, who played their first game on Nov. 3, 1923, became one of the best basketball teams in the country. Strong, supportive relationships with moms, dads and nonparental caregivers are all vital. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images [Secure attachment to both parents − not just mothers − boosts children’s healthy development]( Or Dagan, Long Island University Post; Carlo Schuengel, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Psychologists have long focused on the importance of a secure attachment with a mother for healthy child development. A new look supports the value of attachment – but it doesn’t have to be with mom. China’s President Xi Jinping meets Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Beijing on June 14, 2023. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images [Israel-Hamas war puts China’s strategy of ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the Middle East at risk]( Andrew Latham, Macalester College Beijing’s tone on the Middle East crisis has shifted since Hamas’s initial attack, becoming increasingly pro-Palestinian. - [NASA’s robotic prospectors are helping scientists understand what asteroids are made of – setting the stage for miners to follow someday]( Valerie Payré, University of Iowa Upcoming NASA missions will help scientists understand the composition of asteroids – which could inform companies one day hoping to commercially mine asteroids. - [Biden’s executive order puts civil rights in the middle of the AI regulation discussion]( Margaret Hu, William & Mary If safety is the heart of the Biden administration’s executive order on AI, then civil rights is its soul. - [From India and Taiwan to Tibet, the living assist the dead in their passage]( Liz Wilson, Miami University Across cultures, death rituals give mourners a chance to grieve. But they also offer one last opportunity to help the deceased as they transition to the next stage of existence. - [This course uses big data to examine how American newspapers covered lynchings]( - [It's not just about facts: Democrats and Republicans have sharply different attitudes about removing misinformation from social media]( - [Despite his government’s failure to anticipate Hamas’ deadly attack, don’t count Netanyahu out politically]( - [Kristallnacht, 85 years ago, marks the point Hitler moved from an emotional antisemitism to a systematic antisemitism of laws and government violence]( - [United Auto Workers union hails strike-ending deals with automakers that would raise top assembly-plant hourly pay to more than $40 as ‘record contracts’]( - [The world’s boreal forests may be shrinking as climate change pushes them northward]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( On October 30, the Biden Administration unveiled what in response to the growth of artificial intelligence? - A. A temporary research ban - B. A sweeping set of guidelines - C. A new federal department - D. A TikTok of "Kamala Harris" doing a robot dance [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon](• [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](