In
American Studies class today, we discussed many ways in which whites
differentiated themselves from blacks before and during the civil rights
movement. In some instances, whites would go so far to say that the genetic
makeup of white people was different than that of black people, which somehow
made whites more superior. We then very briefly touched upon the subject of
black track stars and how they possess the fast-twitch muscles, allowing them
to run faster. This reminded me of a certain video clip from Family Guy, a show that constantly identifies many social
issues in the US as well as around the world.
This
clip got me thinking. Is it just track that blacks have become more dominant in
than whites, or are they starting to make their mark on other sports as well?
And which ones? In did some research on the subject, and learned that a lot of
the success of black athletes comes from their ability to combine their
eagerness to compete with their desire for aggression. I remember one classmate
in our discussion brought up a scene in the movie, Friday Night Lights, in which the coaches put the whites in as the
quarterback and other “thinking” positions, while they put the blacks in as
linebackers where brute force and quick instincts are necessary. I read one
article in particular that discussed the education level of some of the most
successful black athletes in our day and age. The author talked about how many
of the black players seemed to be lacking a substantial education. In
particular, he talked about Tony Allen, and how “he can play basketball but
beyond that he barely knows what planet he is on.” But then again, if you were
born with natural talent in a sport, and had little opportunity for a quality
education, what would you pick: “unemployment and a good chance at jail or tens
of millions of dollars?”
I
then started to wonder about other sports that require more finesse and less
aggression, golf and tennis in particular. It doesn’t seem like blacks have
acquired the same popularity in those sports as others. I looked into it a
little, and came across an article that discussed the segregation of sports.
Apparently, these sports maintained the “whites only” policy long after other
sports like baseball, football and basketball had become integrated. But is it
merely the fact that blacks have not been integrated into these sports as long
as others that has hindered their progress in them? Or is it the fact that
these sports require a much lower amount of athleticism and aggression compared
to the amount of thinking and finesse involved as well?
I
have been pondering this idea for a while now. I am not sure exactly why blacks
are more successful in certain sports than others. Is it due to the different skill sets required in certain sports that limit blacks from excelling, or is there still segregation through sport today?
Anna, I don't even know where to begin. You make some extra-ordinary claims here without providing backing. Here's one "their desire for aggression"?!
ReplyDeleteLet's talk!