American society has undergone monumental changes in the last few decades. Only
around 75 years ago, Black Americans – along with many Americans of conscience from other
backgrounds – fought to end segregation, discriminatory laws, and bigoted policies creating a
racially hostile and unequal American society. Years of activism and struggle led the
government to abolish such laws and institute reparative policies, allowing Black Americans and
other marginalized Americans to reach positions almost unattainable just a few decades prior.
Much attention goes to highlighting such progress in education, technology, science,
government, and other areas of society. Yet this spotlight misses another significant pillar of
American society – sports. Most people don’t realize that while Black Americans dominate on
the fields and courts of professional sports, they remain a minority in the front offices and league
leadership who hold the power to influence what actually happens on these fields and courts.
Perhaps people feel that the impact of sports on society lacks the significance of other fields
such as science or government. However, the sheer size and popularity of the platform implies
otherwise; those with a controlling stake in the world of sport have a fundamental ability to
shape attitudes, customs, and order of American society, so much so that American sports
stands as a perfect microcosm of American society.
Throughout American history, many movements centered around issues of human rights
and justice endeavored to highlight the degree to which racism remains embedded in the
structure of American society. While this work allowed leaders and legislators to rectify the
damages caused by inbuilt racism, these movements, quite frankly, are still young, as the path
to complete justice for all the wrongs committed throughout the founding and growth of the
United States of America stretches on for many more miles. Racism embedded within American
society initially stemmed from racist attitudes and beliefs perpetuated through slavery and
colonization, when the American economy depended on these oppressive arrangements. While
slavery and active colonization have long since ended in America, racist structures continue to
this day due to the economic benefit they continue to provide for the powerful in American
society. > ex Kaep’s protest caused him to lose his job but a couple of years later NFL “joined”
the movement when a tsunami of public opinion came out in protest against police killings of
black people, so in light of this turn of public opinion it was no longer profitable for NFL to
remain on the sidelines
> yet the actions they took do not really provide much substantial support for the movement, it’s
mainly symbolic (slogans, etc.)
> NFL never apologized to Kaep or compensated him
Once it doesn’t generate profit, the position of those in power shifts.
Similarly, players like Jackie Robinson scouted from black baseball leagues not b/c owners of
baseball teams necessarily were against segregation, but because the black leagues had a lot
of talent and thus were becoming stronger, becoming serious contenders to the white leagues
Maintaining a segregated league no longer seemed profitable, b/c the leagues couldn’t stay
above the black ones with just white players
Thus Jackie Robinson was signed into an MLB team, and soon after many other talented black
baseball players were as well, and in the end, MLB managed to steal away all the black talent
from the black leagues causing them to wither away essentially
They successfully neutralized the power of the black leagues by signing players into MLB
Was that their intention? Somewhat, they did want the talent, and did feel bothered by the
growth and success of the black leagues
Probably didn’t expect the black leagues to collapse, but none of them really shed tears over
their collapse
They only integrated once segregation became unprofitable, not necessarily because they felt it
was morally wrong
Racist attitudes still exist, but the potential for profit stands as the primary reason racism
persists in American society. Racist mascots and symbols in sport; abandoned only after a long
and difficult battle as fans had tied their identity to these symbols and teams and leagues profit
off this fanbase, so the leagues and teams didn’t want to upset the fanbase and possibly lose
revenue by changing names and symbols
These teams and leagues definitely understood how these symbols and names were racist but
were reluctant to change them due to the economic ramification of doing so
It’s all about money! (USC v Alabama, only integrated when they were routed by a mixed team,
and the coach saw the benefit of desegregation, not b/c he felt bad about segregation;
Washington Redskins [see article in Week 6 Reading]). As long the situation remains this way,
those in power remain reluctant to change these structures and potentially reduce their power
and profits.
No one talks about the siphoning of talent from HBCUs and poor communities to benefit
white-controlled sports industrial complexes and universities
Do these HBCUs and poor communities ever see the benefits of this talent?
Does something like the NFL combine exist in leagues outside of the US?
Everything is structured for profit, and if a certain program or policy seems racist, oh well
Structure of NFL policies and controls black players & players from non-dominant groups to
main this economic structure of profit
Racism is embedded in American society, not necessarily b/c Americans and their government
are racist but because this racism benefits power
This power will never reign itself in, or be limited quietly; it will take a lot of work and fighting
from the marginalized to bring this power to account and end its harmful racists aspects
Holdovers from racism embedded in structure of American society
The holdovers that have economic benefit remain
Racist structures remain b/c they have economic benefit
Those in power are thus reluctant to change these structures b/c it will reduce their power and
profits
Racist attitudes still exist, but they are not the main supporter of racist structures in society
They help, but the main reason racism still exists is b/c it can generate profit