ESPN’s The Undefeated, a website dedicated to the intersections of race, sports, and culture, has taken a unique step. The website, in conjunction with Disney Music Group, has released its first ever single. It is appropriately titled “Undefeated” and is performed by R&B artist Rayana Jay.
A music video was produced for the song as well featuring Florence Griffith Joyner, Serena Williams, Candace Parker, and Laila Ali amongst other Black female athletes. It has already aired in full on The Disney Channel and the Disney Go app. Excerpts of the video were also used this past weekend during ABC’s telecast of the WNBA All Star Game.
A press release from ESPN says the song “celebrates the resilience of Black female athletes who face opponents on the courts, playing fields and track while simultaneously defying stereotypes, championing for change and redefining history.”
The press release also describes how the song came about.
The single Undefeated is an extension of a joint project between The Undefeated and Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication. Commissioned by The Undefeated, Morgan State produced an academic study entitled “Beating Opponents, Battling Belittlement: How African-American Female Athletes Use Community to Navigate Negative Images” that examined the historical portrayal and imagery of black female athletes across sports from 1900 to present. For more about the study, log onto The Undefeated.
“Undefeated” was produced by an all female team at a studio run and built completely by women. The track is available for download or streaming on iTunes, Spotify, and Widestream.
