Race in Sport

Article: Whites See Blacks as Superhuman

On Tuesday, April 14, 2015 in my American Sport in the 21st Century class we discussed race and ethnicity in sport. There is a distinct difference between race and ethnicity. 

Race is a social category constructed and accepted by society while ethnicity is a socially distinct population that shares a way of life and is committed to the ideas, norms, and things that constitute that way of life. In class we focused on sport participation and African Americans. The 1936 Olympic Games took place in Berlin, Germany and this is where Jesse Owens proved that African Americans were great athletes. Watch the following youtube video to see everything that Jesse Owens accomplished: Jesse Owens 1936 Olympics
There is a traditional race logic that is used in sports. This logic credits achievements of white athletes to ability, character, and intelligence whereas it credits achievements of black athletes to biology and natural physical abilities. There is said to be some physiological dominances that African Americans have over whites, these are: 

• Blacks have a slight genetic advantage over whites in some ares 
• African Americans are more physically suited for activities requiring speed and power
• Longer levers, slimmer pelvis, less fat on muscles
• More fast twitch muscle
• Advanced motor skills at an early age

These traits make it seem like African Americans have an upper hand when it comes to sport. In a research summary of genetic factors and athletic performance the following results were concluded.

• Are there genetic differences between individuals? - Yes
• Are genetic characteristics related to athletic excellence? - Yes
• Could one gene account for success across a range of different sports? - Probably Not
• Might skin color genes and physical performance genes be connected? - No Evidence 

Since there is currently no evidence for the connection between skin color genes and physical performance genes it leads individuals to believe what they see and experience. African Americans make up for 87% of the NBA, 70% of the NFL, 9.8% of the MLB, hold most titles in boxing, twenty-three to twenty-five all time men's 100 meter sprinters were African American, and African Americans dominate the long jump. Athletes are held to a high standard in society and they are seen as role models and heroes. The article by Matthew Huston, Whites See Blacks as Superhuman, illuminates how whites view African Americans in sport. Some may believe that viewing African American athletes as being superior is a good thing but there are consequences that go along with the race logic of sports. 

• Desegregation of revenue producing sports
• Continued racial exclusion in "social" sports
• Position stacking in team sports
• Racialized interpretations of achievements
• Skewed distribution of African Americans in United States colleges and universities
• Management barriers for blacks