Race and Ethnicity in Sport

            In class on April 7, 2015, we discussed race and ethnicity in sport. Some of the terms that we defined were bigot, prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination, and race. Learning about these key concepts was helpful, as we were able to learn the difference between prejudice and discrimination. We also learned about ethnic groups and minority groups as well. It was very interesting to learn that African-Americans face a segregated sport system prior to the 1950s. We also learned about some famous African-American athletes including Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, and Tom Molyneux. This section was important, as race is a major issue not just in society, but in sport as well.

            In his article from March 16, 2015, Richard E. Lapchick discussed the alarming results from the 2014 College Sport Racial and Gender Report Card. Racial hiring practices were given a “B” in 2013, but the grade declined to a “C+” in 2014. Lapchick pointed out that men’s and women’s college basketball coaches of different races declined in multiple categories from last season and other previous seasons. He also noted that the amount of college football coaches of different racial backgrounds has declined as well. This issue makes sense for this section because the number of African-Americans is declining in sport. During our lecture, we learned that the percentage of African-Americans in Major League Baseball now is 9.8 percent. This has declined significantly from 25 percent in 1975. After reading this article, I feel that colleges should hire more African-American coaches and coaches of other races as well.

Link: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/03/16/Opinion/Richard-Lapchick.aspx?hl=african-americans%20in%20sport&sc=0