Race & Sport

Description

Race & Sport in America Thoughtfully and creatively respond to one or more of the following prompts. Responses should be at least 400 words or more in total. Responses will be graded via the following criteria: Is the submission substantive? (long enough, shows effort & time) Is the submission interesting? (makes the reader think, want to read/discuss more) Is the submission original? (shows creative thought, deliberate ideas) Is the submission critical? (asks tough questions, poses challenging ideas) Is the submission coherent? (easy to understand, readable)   1. Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington “Redskins,” announced in July 2020 that he is planning to change the name in response to severe criticism that the name is a racial slur against Native Americans. Why do you think it took so long for the name to be changed? What can this delay tell us about American culture?   2. Sports teams have been historically hyper-sensitive about using nicknames and slurs that refer to racial and ethnic minority groups, except when they refer to Native Americans. This phenomenon is mirrored in broader society as Native American issues are often ignored or under-discussed in popular movements for justice and equality. Why do you think that is?    3. As we learned in class, racism is fueled by capitalist self-interest and the resulting exploitation of disadvantaged population groups. For example, while Major League Baseball allowed for the integration of black players in 1947 with Jackie Robinson (which undoubtedly made their league better and more profitable), the league refused to integrate its management or ownership ranks. It took nearly 30 years after Robinson’s MLB debut for a black manager to be hired (Frank Robinson, no relation to Jackie). Can you think of any analogous examples of exploitation in today’s sports?