This paper is a 23-page, 9-source article concentrating on the issue of racism in sports. The author opens the piece by discussing the story of Jackie Robinson, which helped desegregate sports for black men. Then, the author discusses how sport has changed today by showing how blacks dominate most popular sports. The author's slant is that this policy is actually racist because leagues and teams are still controlled by white owners, who, along with the media, tend to support the idea that blacks are athletically gifted but intelligent. This view of blacks comes from Social Darwinism and racial determinism which, as the author points out, arose in the 19th century but is alive and well today. IN accordance with this phenomenon, the media and sports industries advance the notion that athletic success is the only way out of the ghetto for young blacks. The author also discusses, by incorporating several studies, how blacks and other minorities can use sport for purposes of male and racial assertion and symbolic victory over their oppressors. However, the system is still racist, particularly the college athletics system, which recruits students based on athletic ability and is willing to overlook poor academic performance. This policy is effectively institutionalized racism, because once students enter the professional world (very few make it into professional sports) they lack the thinking skills needed for survival. 23 pgs. Bibliography lists 9 sources.
