The Effects of Race in Sports - Essay Example

Most people and participants know the effect of race on sports. In various universities in the USA, certain sports are mostly practiced only by people of a certain racial identity. This has a lot to do with the economic condition of people who belong to the African American community; which is historically underprivileged also due to preconceived notions and prejudices. There are many reasons for this, the primary one being the historical one where they had access to formal education for a short period due to slavery. Even today, many prejudices are associated with race in the minds of people of all races. Sport is seen as one of the main ways African youths can escape the poverty of the places they were born.

For the eradication of such beliefs, education is considered the best remedy. People like Booker T. Washington (Washington, 2006) also suggested this. There are, however, problems that have occurred during the implementation of this policy. Many African Americans secure admissions to good colleges because of their skills in sports, and this often makes them neglect other aspects like their education.

Due to the oppressive circumstances, they have to go through; many see this as the only open avenue. This discussion is about those sections of the African American community that is economically underprivileged and not those that have achieved a high social status in their lives. The importance of this difference must be understood, and affirmative governmental action should be taken to account for the differences that are engendered by class distinctions, while at the same time being aware of the handicaps that racial oppression has created in society.

 Interest in sports has also to do with history and the challenge that the African American community took up for attempting to rival the other races that had oppressed them for long. Sadly, this took on the form of a machismo that had the corollary of leading to the oppression of African American women at the hands of African American men. It is important to look at this lack of strategic essentialism, in an analysis of the importance of sports in the development of certain unhealthy social trends amongst people of the African American community. Sport has led to the achievement of many laurels for the United States of America. However, it has led to the polarisation of several communities based on essentials that have stemmed from historic stereotypes and inequalities.

In Stuck in the Shallow End: “Education, Race, and Computing, UCLA researcher” Margolis Jane outlines the history of swimming in the USA to show how blacks have been affected by inadequate access to swimming facilities and lessons. She asserts “In most cases of discrimination, typecasts and systems of beliefs about dissimilar ethnic gender groups genetic makeup and physical abilities emerge to rationalize unequal access and the resulting disparities. “Joan Ferrante, a professor of sociology at the University of Northern Kentucky, advises that geographical setting, financial resources, and the impact of parents, peers, and role models are involved in channeling individuals of certain races towards particular sports and away from others (Ferrante, 2010).

It is of great importance for society to give people a chance to interact healthily to create several opportunities for young and promising sportsmen and sportswomen. While analyzing the role of sports in society and engaging with its curricula; people have to be aware of sports and their importance in society. All races of people should be encouraged to participate in different sporting activities and this will promote more interaction, therefore, killing the attitude of racism in sports.

Conclusively, a sport has been seriously affected by race. Discrimination in sports should be done away with. All races should be given access to all sporting facilities, and this will improve the lives of everyone in society. Sports is not all about a certain race being good in a certain sport, it is about the ability of a person as an individual being able to achieve his or her goals in sports.