Akilah Francique teaches Sport Management in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University. Her most current research focuses on African-American girls and women in sport and physical activity in terms of access and opportunity, mentoring, as well as mediated images and narratives. Her areas of expertise include: Historical and Contemporary Experiences of Participants in Sport and Physical Activity, Experiences of Black Females and Males in Educational Institutions (K-20) Health and Well-Being for Women Of Color.
As a former collegiate athlete in track and field from the University of Houston, where she received her bachelor’s degrees in Kinesiology-Exercise Science and Psychology, her practical experiences include, intercollegiate athletic experience, counseling and coaching at the K-12 education levels, and seven years as a facility and special event administrator in colligate campus recreation.
Francique’s has researched racial (e.g., Blacks, Hispanics, Asians) and gendered minorities in sport, health, and education in the American context with specific emphasis on Black girls and women. She also co-founded (with Deniece Dortch) and directs Sista to Sista, a co-curricular leadership development program designed to foster sense of connectedness amongst Black female collegiate athletes on predominantly white institutions of higher educational campuses.
