Imagine that for your whole life you had dreamed about becoming a professional at your favorite sport only to be shot down by something that you can not control. The color of your skin. You have the skills, the determination, and an unbelievable work ethic, but no you couldn’t play. But then everything changed when a man came along by the name of Jack Roosevelt Robinson better known as Jackie. Jackie Robinson changed the nation for the better through the effect that he had outside of baseball. In this essay I will explain to you how his career opened up other opportunities for future athletes, How his career affected the civil rights movement, and finally how the hatred and cruelty he received from whites exemplifies white supremacy.…
In an attempt to persuade high school football players against following the footsteps of Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand up for the playing of the American national anthem during their games to protest against systemic racism in the United States, David Brooks, in his article “The Uses of Patriotism,” calls Kaepernick’s actions “extremely counterproductive” as it creates a “crisis of solidarity.” To Brooks, sitting during the national anthem demonstrates a lack of gratitude to America’s ancestors and their legacy, and the loss of a sense that “we’re all in this together.” Throughout the article, he emphasizes on the importance of patriotism in the maintenance of the nation. He cites that the American…
1) Race and racism have several influences of the shaping and image of both the NHL and the NBA. The NHL is viewed as a white-race dominant league and the NBA is viewed as a black-race dominant league. It is often perceived for this reason that the NHL is the more professional of the two leagues and that the athletes in the NBA are less professional due to their choice of clothing apparel most specifically. The NBA and NHL are both known to discriminate against the black athletes and it is believed that there is an occurrence of democratic racism in both sports. It is often seen this way in the NHL because of the lack of black athletes in the sport and it is seen this way in the NBA due to the institution of a dress code that only affected…
As the United States evolved, the amendment effected arenas and situations where it never could’ve anticipated. One of the areas includes the First Amendment rights to free speech which is entering into sports. First Amendment rights and sports are becoming increasingly in conflict and are being brought into question. The Actions of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusal to stand during the Star Spangled Banner demonstrates his interpretation of the 1st amendment. His deterrence to participate was because, the anthem itself has an unexpected connection to slavery. His exposition shows that Sporting events directly affect law enforcement and first amendment rights validating that no one has the right to provoke you from simply expressing your opinion when protesting at a sporting event.…
In “Let Athletes Love Their Country in Their Own Ways” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the author references Sam Kendricks’s and Colin Kaepernick’s public displays of political expression to explain that true patriotism is when a person is willing to make sacrifices to their personal gain in order to promote their problems with the government. This article was published on August 30th, 2016 in the Washington Post. The United States in currently encapsulated in various civil rights issues such as problems with gay rights, women’s rights, and racial equality. Abdul-Jabbar uses Kendrick and Kaepernick to illuminate what happens when a famous person makes a patriotic act to stand up for these rights.…
One of the points that Zirin touches on plenty in this piece is racism in sports. As the reader gets proceeds through this book, he or she will realize that racism hasn’t evaporated and some might say that it has gotten worse. In the first chapter, he speaks about the racism that occurred in baseball with black and brown players. He highlights Roberto Clemente who is widely recognized as one of the greatest player in baseball history. Zirin states that Roberto had an older brother named Matino who he says “was the better ball player”. His dreams were cut down by Jim Crow laws. Zirin says that even the press was extremely racist towards Clemente while doing interviews with him. They would mock his accent and the way he spoke English, being that…
Branch Rickey said, “Ethnic prejudice has no place in sports, and baseball must recognize that truth if it is to maintain stature as a national game”(Nicholson). The game that Branch loved was unfair to others that also loved the game, and he was determined to fix it. His determination turned out to be a crucial turning point in not only Branch’s career but also for America. Jackie Robinson was also a crucial part of this plan for integration. Though Jackie endured most of the hardships, Branch was the one risking his career and reputation to do this. Dictionary.com defines taking a stand as, “adopting a firm position about an issue”(Dictionary.com). Branch Rickey took a firm position on his issue and could not be persuaded by others to back down.…
Minority professionals in sports have to deal with more than being accepted in the sports industry, they have to deal with their own social identity. It’s the background that they come from which shapes them into the professionals that they are. Also it’s not necessarily if the white man will accept them into their world, their also worried about being shunned by their own race. They are attempts to create and at the same time understand people's own identities, which are critical to self-assessment and making career and personal choices that closely align with their goals and values (Murphy, 2005). Noted these are all things that shape a person and how they are perceived by someone else. The vast majority of participants did not mention their…
The article In the ‘land of the free,’ are you free to sit out the national anthem? Jaweed Kaleen points out the controversy of athletes not a participating in the National Anthem. Kaleen focuses mainly on Colin Kaepernick, who is the quarterback for the 49ers, quoting him numerous times. Kaleen also refers to the Black Lives Matter movement and the Blue Lives Matter. Kaleen speaks of the mental connection of sports and patriotism, and how it has been used psychologically on the American people.…
Most athletes don’t interfere with public or political issues in our country because the fear of losing their high popularity, money or endorsements. Colin Kaepernick, a professional football player, has broken that code and now protesting the injustices of non-white individuals that are murder by police. Kaepernick’s protest started by kneeling for the National Anthem during a televised NFL football game. His kneeling led to many controversies that circulate through the nation and sport world. Many think he is disgracing the nation and some are backing up what he is protesting. One’s identity is indefinite changing, so Kaepernick had to change his to focus on his protest side.…
Conflict theories attempt to examine economic exploitation and capitalist expansion as well as identify racism, sexism, and nationalism which twist the meaning and purpose of sport. Cultural theory is also a useful tool when considering the sociological impact involving Kaepernick’s protest and kneeling during the national anthem. Coakley explains how people in positions of power represent their own personal interests by upholding certain structures and practices, in this case standing with hand over heart for the Star Spangled Banner (Coakley, 2017, p. 526). When an individual or group of people challenge the interests of those in power positions, they are portrayed in a negative or harmful manner, in this particular case – unpatriotic. Many dislike using a conflict theory when studying sport because it addresses issues which may be difficult to discuss, such as social issues of racial inequality and police brutality.…
It was 1945, and World War ll had just ended. Black people wasn’t allowed to play baseball. Just like Jackie Robinson. A strong man who wanted to play baseball. I think that racism is when someone is judged by the color of their skin.Racism does exist in sport as shown through Jackie Robinson; Justice at Last and my observations.…
A fight over whether some names of sports teams are racist and should be forced to change them. The Washington Redskins is the main target because it is by far the most racist in the eyes of Native Americans. One of the many arguments is if the term “Redskins” is offensive. In the Webster dictionary it is usually an offensive term. In one case, a Cleveland Indians fan started a conversation on the racism with Chief Wahoo on Twitter. The fan tweeted a picture of a cut out of Chief Wahoo. Many Native American tribes have tried suing the sport associations in order to put an end to the racism throughout the leagues and the world. A lady that works at the Washington Redskins postal office states that…
The racial integration of sport is an exploitation of minorities. The inclusion of athletes such as Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby into modern baseball 50 years ago was financially motivated. The inclusion of minorities would increase the fan base as well as expand the talent pool for the progressive teams which helped them have an advantage over their opponents.…
Newman, J (2007) Army of Whiteness?: Colonel Reb and the Sporting South’s Cultural and Corporate Symbolic Journal of Sport and Social Issues. 31(4). Sage Publications…