Black Men Cant Shoot: Analysis - Book Report/Review Example

Black Men Can’t Shoot: Book Analysis 1. Scott N. Brooks, in the book Black Men Can’t Shoot, tries to verify if Black people are natural athletes. In other words, the research looks into the question whether Blacks possess superior genes which give them natural ability. Also, it identifies the various factors which result in higher Black representation in basketball. Through observation, the very first point put forward by Brooks is that Blacks often become athletes because of the environment. As Brooks notes in the first chapter, a basketball player Jermaine points out that he started playing basketball not because he liked it but because his school did not have football; also, he reveals that he was not a good player in the beginning (2). The second point that becomes evident is that the Black players often work hard to become good players because they are lured by the kind of public recognition and status good players received. To illustrate, Jermaine points out that in the eighth grade, “Hanif, Todd, and Sharif earned citywide reputations” (Brooks, 3). Thus, the scholar puts forward the argument that the Black players often had their beginning in slums amidst poverty, crime and neglect. Thus, they develop a keen desire towards recognition. This leads to better observation, practice, hard work, and success. Another important factor as put forward by Brooks is that for the Black parents who live in poverty, basketball is the opposite of gangs and violence on street (14). Thus, the poor parents think that if their children take the basketball way, there will be less trouble in their lives. Through the lives of many players, the scholar proves that the players had no interest in basketball, but there were influential people to force them to succeed. The motivation behind playing basketball and excelling in the same is evidenced through the story of Darrell. Brooks points out that a Black boy on the street has two ways in front of him; be a thug or be an athlete. The latter means recognition, respect, and girls. Thus, the scholar points out that the huge representation of Blacks in basketball is because of the fact that it is used as a transformational device to bring the poor, inner-city, black men upward. In other words, it is a safe way out of drugs, violence, and crime. The next important point as put forward by Brooks is the influence of social connections and group affiliations. (p. 21) Young men in the Philadelphia community learn at an early age that everybody in the community values and respects basketball and that basketball is an expression of masculinity. In addition, as everybody in the community loves and plays basketball, the young ones naturally fall in love with the same. Also, media plays an important role in this stereotyping. As media presents a racial and gendered connection to basketball, the new generation learns from the media that they are supposed to play basketball to be truly themselves. Also, once someone starts playing at an early age, there is an extensive network of players, former players, close observers, and coaches to help him improve. Another important claim is that living in such a community like Philadelphia means having the best training and learning opportunities. As others do not have such an opportunity, their chances of becoming a good player are much less. 2. Brooks’ ethnographic work effectively portrays the life and the various influences in the life of a Black basketball player. Being the assistant coach of a team, he observes a number of players from the very beginning of their career, and through observation and communication; he manages to dig out the various reasons behind the present day misconception that the Blacks possess super genes which make them better athletes. By observing the lives of some Black young players, the scholar points out that in societies like Philadelphia, basketball is the alternative of being a thug for the youngsters. So, even though the possibility of success is quite dim, parents encourage the young ones to play basketball. Secondly, it is found that the young ones are lured by the respect, recognition and admiration enjoyed by good players. As a result of this, the young ones not only play basketball, but try their best in the same. Social affiliations and interactions too play a role in making Black men play basketball. From the very beginning of their lives, young Blacks learn the fact that their society loves basketball. Thus, basketball is the way to prove ones status in the society for the youngsters. Also, it is a skill that every man in the society possesses. However, the ethnographic work has a lot of limitations too. First of all, he failed to look deep into the controversy related to endurance. In other words, he has not considered it important to prove that the physical capacities of whites and blacks are not considerably different. Admittedly, he has succeeded in unearthing the underlying reasons which make more blacks than whites play basketball. However, a deficiency is seen as a result of the absence of explanation related to physical strength and endurance and their connection with basketball. 3. Brooks has done a wonderful work by giving a clear insight into the feelings of each person he meets. So, the reader easily gets good understanding of the emotions of each person. The person I can relate to the best is Brooks. This is so because the book is presented in first person narrative, making it easy to understand the feelings of the narrator. However, by presenting communications as such, Brooks has managed to provide equally vivid pictures of others’ mindset too. 4. If I start an ethnographic work, I will look into the question as to how a new governmental legislation on racism works. It will cover questions like if racism will disappear through governmental legislations, how the dominant class responds to such legislations, how the discriminated class responds to the legislation, how racism changes as a result of every new legislation, and so on. This work is very vital in the modern society because time has proved that racism is not so overt and shallow as people would have liked. It has become evident from the experience in mixed societies like America that racism is capable of mutation. That means despite various governmental legislations touching racism in various spheres of life, racism has mutated itself into various subtle forms and is still alive and expressed in various covert forms. These subtle expressions are seemingly harmless and hence not preventable. However, they are deep rooted and no less significant than the overt expressions. Works Cited Brooks, Scott, N. Black Men Can't Shoot. ReadHowYouWant.com, 2010. Print. Read More