David Leonard
Born in Los Angeles, Dr. David J. Leonard found his passion for ethnic studies and purpose in the classroom while a student at Santa Barbara. After two quarters at University of Oregon, he transferred to Santa Barbara City college, where he was able to take Ethnic Studies, African American and Chicanx courses, learning about histories, cultures, and communities obscured throughout his educational experience. These courses, taken less than a year after the 1992 LA Uprising, inspired him to want to learn more about America's history of racism, injustice, and otherwise contribute to racial justice movements. After one year at SBCC, he transferred to UC Santa Barbara, where he majored in Black Studies. Taking courses on Malcolm X, the Black Freedom Struggle, African American Cinema, the Black Athlete, Caribbean history and culture, and U.S. Foreign Policy and Africa, Professor Leonard further found his passion and purpose at UCSB. Being mentored by the likes of Kofi Hadjor, Cedric Robinson, Douglas Daniels, and many amazing professors, inspired David to go to graduate school to eventually become a professor. His desire to impact students, to cultivate passions and purpose, and to inspire critical conversations, was built through these experiences.
After a 1-year hiatus, he headed North to UC Berkeley, where he received his master's and Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies. His research focused on civil rights movements, urban politics, and inter-communal coalitions. His dissertation examined Black-Jewish (and to a lesser degree Latinx) racial justice coalitions that developed in Los Angeles in 1945-1946.
Following graduation, he joined the faculty at Washington State University, where he taught Ethnic Studies for more than 22 years. Over the years, he has taught courses on popular culture, film, television, civil rights movements, social justice, mass incarceration and much more.
Dr. Leonard returned home after 22 years at Washington State University. He is professor and chair in the Department of Ethnic, Gender, and Queer Studies. He is a teacher, writer, and someone who finds power and purpose in the classroom. During his 25 years as a professor, he taught courses on the civil rights movement, mass incarceration, hip-hop, race and popular culture, food culture, social justice, sports, and so much more.
His research focuses on the ways that mediated culture, representations, and dominant narratives teach race within the popular imagination. His work examines the ways in which media culture becomes a space of contestation, rearticulation, reification, and even resistance. His next book the University Washington Press is entitled All Lives Don’t Matter: White Angels, Black Th*gs and America’s Racism Problem. He is past author of several books, including Playing While White: Privilege and Power on and off the Field (University of Washington Press, 2017), and After Artest: The NBA and the Assault on Blackness (SUNY Press, 2012). He is co-editor of Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion (with Rudy Mondragón and Gaye Theresa Johnson) and Woke Gaming: Digital Challenges to Oppression and Social Injustice (with Kishonna Gray; University of Washington Press) and several other books. His work has appeared in Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Cultural Studies: Critical Methodologies, Game and Culture, as well as several anthologies. Leonard is a past contributor to The Undefeated, NewBlackMan, the Feminist Wire, Huffington Post, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Urban Cusp. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, BBC, The Root, Ebony, Slam, Racialicious, Loop21, The Nation, Layupline, The Grio, and The Starting Five. Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African American Studies at Duke University, describes Leonard as “one of the sharpest minds writing about race and sports in America today. Race is serious business, and no one understands better than Leonard how that extends to the arenas and stadiums that have long been the site of confrontation between black bodies and spectators.”
When not teaching or writing, David likes to spend time with his kids, dog, and family. He enjoys baking, running, cooking, playing video games, watching the Lakers and Dodgers, and simply chillin.
Recent Publications:
Mondragón, R.*, Johnson, G.T. and Leonard, D.L., (2025). “Introduction: ‘Rollin’ With thePunches: Boxing, Struggle, and Dissent." In Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion, eds. Rudy Mondragón, Gaye Theresa Johnson, and David J. Leonard, (University of Illinois Press), pp.
Mondragón, R., Johnson, G.T. and Leonard, D.L.* (2025). “Beyond the dreams of gold medals: Imaging a free Palestine inside and outside the ring." In Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion, eds. Rudy Mondragón, Gaye Theresa Johnson, and David J. Leonard (University of Illinois Press), pp.
Leonard, D.L.* (2025). “‘There is just something different about watching a woman be able to beat the shit out of someone’: Gender, Boxing, and Fandom” A Conversation with Jessica Luther” to the work titled Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion (University of Illinois Press), pp.
Leonard, D.J.*, and King, C. R.* (2024). “Leaders of Many: Alternative Models of Coaching a Just Future.” In "Football and Coaches" a special issue Journal of Sport and Social Issues, eds., David Leonard and C. Richard King, volume 48, Issue 6, https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/INQEUGCXVBXKF9MNUCMS/full
Leonard, D.J.*, and King, C. R.* (2024). ““Leaders of None: Football Coaches and the Hegemony of Oppression.” In "Football and Coaches" a special issue Journal of Sport and Social Issues, eds., David Leonard and C. Richard King, volume 48, Issue 6, https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/TGGQCH3WVTDVAPGTSMIR/full
Leonard, D.J. (2022). “Grand Theft Auto." In Fifty Key Video Games, eds. Bernard Perron, Kelly Boudreau, Mark J.P. Wolf, and Dominic Arsenault (Routledge), 123-128.
Leonard D.J. 2020 “(Virtual) Black Lives Matter Anti-Racism, justice and the possibilities of freedom in Mafia III and Watch Dogs 2.” In How Racialized Media is Designed, Delivered, and Decoded, eds., Emma Lesser and Matthew Hughey (New York University Press), pp. 245-263
Leonard D.J. 2020. “Blerd Ballers: Black Nerd Chic, Racial Authenticity and Sartorial Choices.” In Are You Entertained? New Essays on Black Popular Culture in the 21st Century, eds. Simone Drake and Dwan Simmons (Duke University Press), pp. 134-152.
Leonard, D.J. (2019). “Virtual Anti-racism: Pleasure, Catharsis, and Hope in Mafia III and Watch Dogs 2,” Humanity and Society. Volume 7, Number 4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0160597619835863
Leonard, D.J., and King, C. R.* (2019). “The Resurgence of Hate: Introductory Notes on the 2016 US Presidential Campaign.” In “Hate and the 2016 Presidential Election,” special issue of Journal of Hate Studies, eds. C. Richard King and David J. Leonard. Volume 14, Number 1, pp. 1-6 https://jhs.press.gonzaga.edu/articles/abstract/10.33972/jhs.121/
Courses taught:
- AFAM 211 Sport, Power, and African American Athletes
- MCGS 155 Introduction to Multicultural and Gender Studies