When I think of Black athletes and those who come from poverty, I can remember hearing in my younger days that “Sports is the only way out.” Now of course today we know that is not true but I want to know why some parents instilled that in their children? I’ve also heard a few NBA stars saying that as well. Before I go into my article for this weeks blog, I want to quote from another article I read. The article said, “Black sports stars have collectively achieved what they have because society presents them with few other options.”
When I first read that line, it made me think. So, I read it over a few more times. Growing up in a Black household with two older brothers and a single mom, that specific line hit home for me but it’s all about how you beat the odds.
In The Myth of Black Supremacy Sports, Sailes take his time to thoroughly go through statistical data during the early 1990’s. Although these numbers may not constitute to what they may be today, we can still look at these for a reference of how things have changed. On the very first page of the article, Sailes speaks about how some sports (basketball and football) have a lack of Black presence. Whether that presence be coaching staff or role models. Also, with there already being an existence of institutionalized racism and discrimination is what cause Black athletes to always gravitate towards football and basketball because there are less hurdles for them to face. As humans we are naturally going to go where we see more people who like like us so we feel welcomed and wanted. This raises a question for me, will institutionalized racism and discrimination forever be the reason why Black athletes are overrepresented inn these sports?
Sailes, G. A. (1991). The Myth of Black Sports Supremacy. Journal of Black Studies, 21(4), 480–487. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2784690
Guardian News and Media. (2021, March 29). As march madness rolls on, so will the myths of Black Athletic Superiority. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/mar/29/black-athletes-genetically-superior-myth-sports
