Ajhanai Keaton

Dr. Ajhanai (AJ) C.I. Keaton studies how organizational decisions shape inequality, and how power and institutional structures shape their consequences. Her research examines organizational behavior, media, and marketplaces at the intersection of race, gender, and power. Drawing on critical qualitative methodologies, institutional theory, and Black feminist epistemologies, she analyzes how organizations, cultural narratives, and market forces shape the experiences of athletes, coaches, and leaders while reinforcing or disrupting systems of inequality. Her scholarship has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Sport Management and the Sociology of Sport Journal, where she has been recognized as a Research Fellow (2026, 2024). In 2026, she earned the Isenberg School of Management Outstanding Research Award. Dr. Keaton’s expertise has led to her consulting for Women’s Sports Foundation, the Black Student Athlete Summit, The Collective (formerly Wasserman), and Newkirk Zwagerman P.L.C. Her work has informed national conversations through The New York Times, The Atlantic, USA Today, Sports Business Journal, Bloomberg Opinion, and Yahoo Sports. Through her research, teaching, and public scholarship, Dr. Keaton connects academic inquiry with real-world challenges facing sport organizations. 

Selected Working Papers/Current Research

Keaton et al. (In-Progress). The Social Contract of Inclusion Black Women’s Emotional and Invisible Labor in Division I Basketball.

Lyle, M., Keaton, A.C.I., Isard, R. (In-Progress). Welcome to the W: Stakeholder Mnemonic Communities in Times of Growth.

Media, Industry, and Public Impact

Invited Lecture, A.C. & Elizabeth Martin Moore Lecture Series, University of Florida (2026)

Atwood, S. & Berg, K. (2026, April 24). Shiver reveals abortion, 'open secret' ties with Sherrone Moore. Experts weigh in. The Detroit News. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2026/04/24/paige-shiver-abortion-open-secret-relationship-michigan-sherrone-moore/89768710007/

Keaton, A.C.I., & Jeffries, C. (2025, November 6). You can ban the acronym, but you can’t ban the practice: DEI in sport still wins. Sports Business Journal. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/11/05/you-can-ban-the-acronym-but-you-cant-ban-the-practice-dei-in-sport-still-wins/

Armour, N. (2025, August 7). Immature crypto bros can't understand throwing sex toys at WNBA players isn't harmless fun. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2025/08/07/crypto-bros-wnba-sex-toys-green-dildo/85563838007/

The Impact of Black Women in the Sports Industry Report. (2025, July) Diverse Representation and Wasserman. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5adfeb0255b02c9316fb02cd/t/686706821c3de566b6c665f2/1751582350178/Black+Women+In+Sports+%282025+Report%29.pdf

Hill, J. (2025, March 4). Trump Has a Funny Way of Protecting Women’s Sports. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/trump-womens-sports-title-ix/681905/

Keaton, A.C.I. (2024, April 8). Angel Reese Is a Black Woman in America. Remember That. Bloomberg Opinion. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-08/angel-reese-is-a-wnba-hopeful-but-she-s-also-a-black-woman?srnd=undefined

Invited Speaker, Media Arts Lab (Apple), Los Angeles (2024)

Pickman, B. (2024, October 10). WNBA players say the troubling side of its rise is racism and threats. The New York Times (Athletic). https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5807201/2024/10/01/wnba-rise-racism-threats-social-media/?searchResultPosition=3

Keynote Speaker, “The Politics of Identity for Black Women Athletes,” Johns Hopkins University (2023)

Professional Links

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2ss7Dm4AAAAJ&hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajhanai-keaton-ph-d-80abb58a/

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5019-9976