Racial Equality in Sports
Racial Equality in Sports
Has MLK's dream been achieved been achieved yet in the institution of sports?
Has MLK's dream been achieved been achieved yet in the institution of sports?
Introduction
Since Martin Luther King Jr has given his I Have a Dream speech in 1963, the United States has majorly changed as a whole. The Jim Crow and segregation have been eliminated since then, but, has racial equality really become a thing yet? In this article, the topic of racial equality in sports specifically will be talked about in detail and an explanation on why racial equality has not yet been achieved in the world of sports in the United States today. Not yet anyways.
There are hundreds of thousands of jobs created in the United States that are created due to the sports industry today. In spite of this however, there is a great imbalance in the number of Whites and African Americans who hold a specific job. For instance, African Americans make up at least 2/3rds of players in both the NBA and the NFL. Whites make up at least 97% of the majority owners in both of the leagues and at least 53% of the head coaching positions in the two leagues. If so many African Americans are allowed to play in these leagues then why are there not as many in ownership positions and coaching positions? Is it a stereotype? Why are can so many Whites hold ownership and coaching positions but can't secure a job as an athlete? These obituary inconsistencies are a big reason why racial inequality has not been achieved yet.
Racist Sports Cities
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Unfortunately, some cities in the United States - Boston is probably the most notorious - have a history of being racist. For decades, these cities have discriminated African American athletes and booed and thrown objects at them just because they were black and they were playing a professional sport. This issue cannot be solved by the athletes or the organizations themselves. This is a problem that only the fans themselves can solve. Sure the players can promote racial equality among sports but ultimately the fans must decide to put their own prejudices aside. African American athletes are no different than White athletes. They are just trying to make a living and to support their families. They do not need the extra negativity and adversity that comes with being a minority. This is one of the biggest reasons why racial equality has not been achieved in the realm of sports.
A Platform for Change
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Although there are a lot of negatives in terms of racial equality in sports, there are some positives too. Sports are an amazing platform that people of all ages and races watch on a daily basis. What people do out on the field goes a long way in the for the people watching and the people inspired by the sport. Every race playing together and showing sportsmanship can bring us all together in unity. Despite all of the negatives stated earlier in this article, sports help us get along with one another and day by day we get closer to racial equality in sports and in every other institution. With this, one day, there can and will eventually be racial equality in sports.
Shattering Racial Barriers
A day after claiming the heavyweight boxing championship during an upset of Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay declared he would be joining the Nation of Islam he changed his name to _______?
Being the platform it is, sports has allowed for incredible things to happen. Sports has allowed for people of all races anywhere in the world to do the impossible and to inspire and encourage the people watching. Ultimately it changes the world. It proves to the world that we are all equal no matter our race and that our race does not define who we are. Our actions do. What people have done in the past, and what people will continue to do the the world of sports will keep inspiring people and can eventually create racial equality in sports but not yet.
Conclusion
In conclusion, MLK's dream has not yet been achieved in the world of sports. There is still a giant divide in the representation of African Americans in front office and ownership positions in professional sports as well as there is one with the representation of White athletes who play in the leagues themselves. Unfortunately, there are also cities where they cannot accept and tolerate people of different races playing a professional sport. With that being said, it does not mean that racial equality cannot be achieved in sports. Sports allow races to play with each other in unity in matter what their race is and destroys race barriers set up by society. This can and will inspire people around to quit treating people unequally and eventually end racial equality not only in sports but in all aspects.
Citations
Baltimore, PressBox Online. “The 15: Racial Barriers Broken In Sports.” PressBox Online Baltimore, www.pressboxonline.com/story/10231/the-15-racial-barriers-broken-in-sports.
Benson, Jocelyn. “How Sports Can Bridge America's Racial Divide.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 July 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-sports-can-bridge-americas-racial-divide_us_5964e8c0e4b0deab7c646bda.
MonaChalabi. “Three Leagues, 92 Teams And One Black Principal Owner.” FiveThirtyEight, FiveThirtyEight, 28 Apr. 2014, fivethirtyeight.com/features/diversity-in-the-nba-the-nfl-and-mlb/.
Waldron, Travis. “50 Years After MLKs Dream, How Do Professional Sports Measure On Race?” ThinkProgress, 28 Aug. 2013, 7:21 PM, thinkprogress.org/50-years-after-mlks-dream-how-do-professional-sports-measure-on-race-5f58817a295b/.