In virtually every sport in which they are given opportunity to compete, people of African descent dominate. East Africans own every distance running record. Professional sports in the Americas are dominated by men and women of West African descent. Why have blacks come to dominate sports? Are they somehow physically better? And why are we so uncomfortable when we discuss this? Drawing on the latest scientific research, journalist Jon Entine makes an irrefutable case for black athletic superiority. We learn how scientists have used numerous, bogus "scientific" methods to prove that blacks were either more or less superior physically, and how racist scientists have often equated physical prowess with intellectual deficiency. Entine recalls the long, hard road to integration, both on the field and in society. And he shows why it isn't just being black that matters—it makes a huge difference as to where in Africa your ancestors are from.Equal parts sports, science and examination of why this topic is so sensitive, Taboois a book that will spark national debate.
The racial makeup of sports in the United States serves as a classic example of racism in the 21st century. This book examines the racial disparities in sports and the continuing significance of race in 21st-century America, debunking the myth of a "postracial society." Sports can serve as an inspirational example of what can be achieved through hard work and perseverance, regardless of one's race. However, there is plenty of evidence that race still plays a major role in sports, and that sports are key agents of racial socialization. White Sports/Black Sports: Racial Disparities in Athletic Programs challenges the idea that America has moved beyond racial discrimination and identifies the obvious and subtle ways in which racial identities and athletic determinism affect non-white individuals in the world of sports. Author Lori Latrice Martin gives readers a keen awareness of the issues, allowing them to see the links between sports and society as a whole and to perceive that the issues surrounding racism in sports impact people in every realm of life and are not limited to the playing field. She discusses how the media acts as an agent of racial socialization in sports, documents how historical stereotypes of minorities still exist, and looks closely at racial socialization in sports, including basketball, baseball, and football, exposing how blacks remained under-represented in most sports, especially among front office administrators, owners, coaches, and managers. This work serves undergraduate and graduate students in the social sciences to enhance their understanding of minority and majority group relationships and appeals to general readers interested in the history of race and sports in America.
Written by one of the leading international authorities on the sociology of race and sport, this is the first book to address sport′s role in ′the making of race′, the place of sport within black diasporic struggles for freedom and equality, and the contested location of sport in relation to the politics of recognition within contemporary multicultural societies. Race, Sport and Politics shows how, during the first decades of the twentieth century, the idea of ′the natural black athlete′ was invented in order to make sense of and curtail the political impact and cultural achievements of black sportswomen and men. More recently, ′the black athlete′ as sign has become a highly commodified object within contemporary hyper-commercialized sports-media culture thus limiting the transformative potential of critically conscious black athleticism to re-imagine what it means to be both black and human in the twenty-first century. Race, Sport and Politics will be of interest to students and scholars in sociology of culture and sport, the sociology of race and diaspora studies, postcolonial theory, cultural theory and cultural studies.
Instant Best Seller in Children's Sports Biographies A tribute to our Black Athletes - This book will inspire you and your child. A beautifully crafted collection of poetry and rhymes of Black Athletes who changed sport history and inspire us-- but more importantly, a story of overcoming adversity and encouragement. Against all odds these Black athletes became the greatest players in history. Learn the Life Lessons from the Greatest Black Athletes. Black Athletes who Changed Sports - Black History Matters Book Series: honors the following black Athletes : Jesse Owens Jackie Robinson Althea Gibson Willie Mays Wilma Rudolph Muhammad Ali Arthur Ashe Walter Payton Magic Johnson Florence Griffith Joyner Jackie Joyner-Kersee Michael Jordan Debi Thomas Michael Johnson Lisa Leslie Kobe Bryant Serena Williams Maya Moore Gabby Douglas Simone Biles
Based on dozens of shocking interviews with some of the most influential names in sports, this is the urgent and revelatory examination of racial inequality in professional athletics America has been waiting for Commentators, coaches, and fans alike have long touted the diverse rosters of leagues like the NFL and MLB as sterling examples of a post-racial America. Yet decades after Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a display of Black power and pride, and years after Colin Kaepernick shocked the world by kneeling for the national anthem, the role black athletes and coaches are asked to perform--both on and off the field--still can be determined as much by stereotype and old-fashion ideology as ability and performance. Whether it's the pre-game moments of resistance, the lack of diversity among coaching and managerial staff, or the consistent undervaluation of black quarterbacks, racial politics impact every aspect of every sport being played. Yet, the gigantic salaries and glitzy lifestyles of pro athletes tend to disguise the ugly truths of how minorities are treated and discarded by their white bosses. Promising to finally expose the structural prejudices underpinning this pilar of modern society, John Feinstein has crisscrossed the country to not only get the stories none of us have heard but all of us should know but also constructed those harrowing tales into a larger narrative that will be the definitive book on race and sports for a generation to come. Seventy-five years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line, race is still a central and defining factor of America's professional sports leagues. With an encyclopedic knowledge of professional sports, and shrew cultural criticism, John Feinstein uncovers not just why, but how, pro sports continue to perpetuate racial inequality.
Practicing sports lawyer Shropshire (legal studies, U. of Pennsylvania) points out the racism still institutionalized in American professional sports, distills the attitudes that allow it to persevere, and recommends strategies for redressing the situation. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The issue of Native American mascots in sports raises passions but also a raft of often-unasked questions. Which voices get a hearing in an argument? What meanings do we ascribe to mascots? Who do these Indians and warriors really represent? Andrew C. Billings and Jason Edward Black go beyond the media bluster to reassess the mascot controversy. Their multi-dimensional study delves into the textual, visual, and ritualistic and performative aspects of sports mascots. Their original research, meanwhile, surveys sports fans themselves on their thoughts when a specific mascot faces censure. The result is a book that merges critical-cultural analysis with qualitative data to offer an innovative approach to understanding the camps and fault lines on each side of the issue, the stakes in mascot debates, whether common ground can exist and, if so, how we might find it.
In the Deep South, football is a religion and even as a young girl, Christine dearly loved the game. Her passion to not only watch but play and excel, was apparent. However, by the time she reached her teens, the South's particular message that women are second-class citizens--had seeped in. 'Black & Blue' is a book about what happens during her poignant, hilarious, oftimes demoralizing but ultimately successful journey into a world few people know about -- the wild west of women's pro football. From her roots in the Deep South to the streets and boroughs of New York City this is a book about coming of age, and the vivid characters who impact Christine along the way. When the unexpected opportunity to finally play tackle football comes along, Christine must purchase the New York Sharks, a pro tackle franchise, to keep her dream alive. Christine and her teammates embark on a rollicking quest for the national title that is ostensibly about football, but when tragedy strikes, ultimately becomes a meditation on being different and requires Christine to re-examine herself, hermotives and the choices she's made.
"Black (and Latinx) athletes enjoy individuality within a team context, and at one and the same time express themselves with the intent of motivating their teammates. But there is still a racial disconnect with many people"--
Race, Sports, and Education highlights the myriad ways in which organized collegiate sport has positively contributed to and negatively detracted from the educational experiences of Black male college athletes. Through an analysis of the system and the voices athletes, John N. Singer offers suggestions for a more equitable way forward. "Sports and education should represent a powerful and positive alliance. Singer demonstrates how wrong it can all go when ideas about race and property intersect." --Gloria Ladson-Billings, professor emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Unsparing in its critique of the significance of race in the 'collegiate sports industrial complex' but abidingly optimistic in its final outlook, Race, Sports, and Education brings the debate over the status and circumstances of Black male collegiate athletes into the twenty-first century." --Harry Edwards, professor emeritus, sociology, University of California, Berkeley, and consultant for the NFL, NBA, and NCAA College/University "Race, Sports, and Education gives a voice to the voiceless through the words of Black male athletes." --John Shoop, former NFL and college football coach "John Singer puts forward an essential truth: that to find pathways to advance justice and equality for African American male college athletes, the issue of race must be placed at the center." --Ellen J. Staurowsky, professor, Department of Sport Management, Lebow College of Business, Drexel University "Singer's brilliance is evidenced in prose, in expert analysis, and in his skillful presentation of compelling counternarratives. This important volume complicates what we know about how race, sports, and education commingle." --Shaun R. Harper, founder and executive director, University of Southern California Race and Equity Center "The academic talent development of Black male college athletes remains grossly understudied and poorly documented. John Singer's new text is a timely and welcome entry for that critical knowledge gap." --Eddie Comeaux, editor of College Athletes' Rights and Well-Being John N. Singer is an associate professor of sport management in the Department of Health and Kinesiology and associate dean for diversity and inclusion in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. H. Richard Milner IV is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair of Education at Vanderbilt University, as well as the editor for the Race and Education Series.
