Race, Racism, Race Relations and Sport

The End of Racism Racism is not the main problem facing blacks! Destructive and pathological cultural patterns of behavior:reliance on the government, a resistance to academic achievement.

Faces at the Bottom of the Well Black people will never gain full equality in this country. Whites, ready and willing to applaud, even idolize black athletes and entertainers, refuse to hire blacks.

Racism and Colorism In the Work Force (AA Register, Dec.2008) 2006, EEOC witnessed 1,241 fillings alleging color discrimination 2006 CNN Poll: 84% of 328 Blacks/ African Americans think racism is a very serious or somewhat serious problem in America

2006 Harper’s Ferry,WVA.

Race Relations Survey: Public Policy Forum ( Wisconsin) Has Discrimination been a factor in… The jobs you have been able to get? Where you live? The education you received? Your access to quality health care? Your dealings with the police? How often do you talk about race?

Racial Attitudes Would you leave your neighborhood if half or less of those moving into your neighborhood were of another race? Do you have close friends of other races? Would fear of discrimination keep you from moving into a mixed-race neighborhood? (Upton,2002)

Race and Living Apart ( Detroit News, 2002)

Topics Covered in Racism Book History of blacks in sport Opportunity or exploitation? Recruitment, retention and graduation rates Black female in sport:sexism and racism Head coaching and administration progress? “Stacking”

Race Race is a social, rather than a biological factor (La Veist, 1996) Race: Refers to people with similar characteristics ( variance within races)

RACISM The transformation of race prejudice through the exercise of power against a racial group defined as inferior by individuals and institutions (intentional or unintentional).

Horizontally: Total Exclusion of Blacks from Society’s Major White Dominated Institutions. (i.e. pro sports)

Hierarchical: Vertical movement of blacks up the career ladder within the organizational settings.

PREJUDICE (Attitudes or Expectations): The prior negative judgment of the members of a race, religion or the occupants of any social role.

Stereotype An idea that many people have about a thing or a group and that may often be untrue or only partial true. Function: to justify, or rationalize, our conduct in relation to that category (Gordon Allport).

STEREOTYPES Society March/April 2000 National Opinion Research Center Summary Results: 56% of whites think African Americans are more violent. 62% of whites think African Americans are not as hard working as they are. 77% of whites think most African Americans live off welfare. 53% of whites think African Americans are less intelligent.

STEREOTYPES 1. Are smart and work hard 2. Are very food at sports 3. Don’t want to learn English 4. Associated with organized crime 5. Are usually good dancers 6. Have illegitimate children 7. Do well in school and get advanced degrees 8. Become rich by cheating others Group ______

Popular Culture, Stereotyping and Race Popular Culture: Societal perception and stereotypes of your culture (Karenga,1980)

Sport Perceptions Athletes achieve at sports because of hard work Athletes achieve at sports because of natural ability Athletes achieve at sports because they are physically better than others Athletes achieve at sports because they are mentally better than others

Baker’s Comments: Day Baseball “Black and Hispanic (baseball) players are better suited to play in the sun and heat than white players” “ What I meant is that blacks and latins take the heat better than most whites, and whites take the cold better than most blacks and latins …”

Necessities: Racial Barriers…(Hoose, 1989) Campanis,”I don’t believe its prejudice. I truly believe they may not have some of the necessities to be, let’s say, a field manager or perhaps a general manager”.

Taboo: Why Blacks Dominate Sports … (Entine, 2000) Jimmy Snyder (1988), “on the plantation, a strong black man was mated with a strong black women. (Blacks) were simply bred for physical qualities”. “ The Negro was brought to this country as a physical specimen…”

Paul Hornung: Racial Slur March 30, 2004: Former Green Bay Packer and grad of Notre Dame, “ We can’t stay as strict as we are as far as the academic structure is concerned because we’ve got to get the black athlete”

Black Athlete Superiority ? Genetic Explanations Family Structure Personality Sociology

“ I Have A Dream… all men are created equal” Dr. King