Race and Ethnicity

In my American Sport in the 21st Century class on April 7, 2015 we discussed the topic of Race and enthnicity. Sport is considered to be a meritocratic institution. Racel minioities in the US continue to face systematic discrimmination in society and in sport. Sport is NOT an oasis free from racial problems. Sport reflects same racial issues as in society. Ethnicity is a social population that shares a way of life and committed to their norms. These are shared cultures by people. Shared cultures ussually share same characteristics between eachother like language, religion, customs, and thier history. Minority groups are the members who share these common group characteristics and suffer from discrimmination. In society in history to today, there are still power imbalences. Unemployment for whites is 5% and for African AMericans is up to 15%. Power imbalences are seen still in categories like family income, home ownership, High School graduation rates, medical insurance, and arrests.

Definitions

These definitions are important to learn because they are commonly missed used words.

• Bigot - person who stubbornly attracted to an opinion or belief

• Prejudice - judging without knowledge of the facts about the indivisual

• Stereotypes - fixed ideas about a group

• Discrimmination - treating somone different than others

• Race - a social category constructed by society to describe members with similar genetics

Jackie Robinson

The word race is a commonly misused word in society. in Race logic, the achievements of African American athletes are due to biology or physical ability. Achievements of white athletes are due to ability, character, and intelligence. African Americans have exploded in sports ever since the breaking of the color barrier of baseball star Jackie Robinson. Oppurtunities were becoming greater for African Americans not only in sports but in society when segregation was ended in 1954 and civil rights was passed in 1970. Though African Americans were exploding in sports people still wondered why they were good in participating in only a few sports. African Americans are known for "stacking" sports like basketball or football. People see they densly in sports like hockey, swimming, golf, and tennis. Athletes that have became icons in those sports like TIger in golf and Serena Williams in Tennis have represented African Americans.

Serena Williams winning 2015 Aussie

New York Times, the article: As Serena Williams Ascends, Grand Slam Buzz Grows, released April 4, 2015 by Christopher Clarey, dicussess the womans final between Serena Williams and Carla Suarez. Before the two met Serena dominated the first match between the two sweeping Carla. NOw in the final the score was 6-2, 6-0 this time and showing how dominate Serena Williams is. Williams has achieved a great deal in her 33 years, dominating the sport of tennis as an African American woman and has her eyes set on completing her first calender year Grand Slam. Serena Williams Dominates

Though African Americans face these race logics on why they are good at the certain sports they play they continue to try to expand. African Americans have broken color barriers for themselves. They have been tested to see if their genetics are different causing them to be better athletes. The consequences of race logic is the continued racial exclusion in sociol sports. The desegregation of revenue producing sports. Skewed distributionof African Americans in US colleges and Universities.