Research Topic

1. Title: Off to the Races: How Sports Have Shaped our Views of Race

2. References:

Burdsey, Daniel, ed.

2011 Race, Ethnicity and Football: Persisting Debates and Emergent Issues. New York: Routledge.

Carrington, Ben

2010 Race, Sport and Politics: The Sporting Black Diaspora. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Hoberman, John

1997 Darwin’s Athletes: How Sport has Damaged Black America and Preserved the Myth of Race. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Long, Jonathan, and Spracklen Karl, eds.

2011 Sport and Challenges to Racism. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Shropshire, Kenneth L.

1996 In Black and White: Race and Sports in America. New York: New York University Press.

3. Elevator Pitch: It is now widely accepted by anthropologists and biologists that there are no physical differences between races. However, heavy segregation is still present in some sports, even at a professional level. This segregation continues to fuel beliefs among the public that certain races are naturally better at some sports than others. The purpose of my research is to examine the causes of this continued segregation and identify the driving factors that influence the public’s perceived differences of professional athletes.

4. The theoretical position that is guiding my thinking is Critical Race Theory, which first appeared in American law schools during the 1980’s. Critical Race Theory focuses on examining race, law, and power as they are reflected in society and culture. An element of this theory is that it seeks to challenge ideas about color blindness, race neutrality, and equal opportunity. I will use this aspect and other aspects of Critical Race Theory to take a more in-depth approach to examining how athletes, managers, coaches and recruiters are affected by, and continue to perpetuate, the racialization of sport. Major advocates for this theory include Derrick Bell, one of the founders of Critical Race Theory, and Kevin Hylton, author of ‘“Race” and Sport: Critical Race Theory.’