Racism in professional sports has been documented for decades. However, only in recent years has it been more noticeable. The recent ‘Take the Knee’ Movement ahs sparked outrage on both sides as people fight for equality and others fight for patriotism. However, this is just one symptom of a much larger disease that is institutionalized racism and how it crossed over into sports. Certain theories like critical race theory and colorism allow for an understanding of what it means to be a person of color in professional sports and how it affects certain outcomes. This essay is meant to highlight what racism in professional sports is, how it has led to the ‘Take the Knee Movement’, and how theory plays a part in understanding it all.
Professional sports in the United States has been a ‘Whites Only’ area up until the mid-20th century. It was not until certain black athletes became the first to achieve a professional sports position like quarterback for there to be some integration of people of color on the field. For example, 1953 saw Willie Thrower become the first-ever black quarterback in Am erican Football and it only one black QB, Douglass Williams has led his team to the Super Bowl. “Doug Williams has been the only black QB to lead his team his team to a Super Bowl win when he led the Washington Redskins blew out the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII.” (Fuhrman) This shows not only that is was hard to gain such a position then, but it is also difficult now with only 4 spots or so being given to non-white players (QB position).
No one knew the struggle of being non-white in professional sports than Jackie Robinson. His efforts landed him a role as one of the greatest sports players in history. However, he had to struggle greatly to do so. His story is one of the highlights of black athletes in sports and staunch racism as well.
Jackie Robinson was a great baseball player. Through his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he managed to become the first African-American in the Major Leagues. His will and determination set him above everyone else and allowed him to shine amidst such troubling times. Even...
Works Cited
Fuhrman, Zeke. "A History Of African-American Athletes." Bleacher Report, 24 Oct. 2008, bleacherreport.com/articles/73113-a-history-of-african-american-athletes. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017.
History.com Staff. "Jackie Robinson Breaks Major League Color Barrier - Apr 15, 1947." HISTORY.com, 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jackie-robinson-breaks-major-league-color-barrier. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017.
Hylton, Kevin. "How a turn to critical race theory can contribute to our understanding of ‘race’, racism and anti-racism in sport." International Review for the Sociology of Sport, vol. 45, no. 3, 2010, pp. 335-354.
Lapchick, Richard. "The Year in Racism and Sports." ABC News, 25 Jan. 2017, abcnews.go.com/Sports/year-racism-sports/story?id=45035554. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017.
Martin, Lori L. Out of Bounds: Racism and the Black Athlete. Praeger P, 2014.
---. Out of Bounds: Racism and the Black Athlete. Praeger P, 2014.
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