Whiteness In Sports

Whiteness is not simply a trait that reflects the color of one’s skin; rather it is a quality that one can possess, a social construct to which society has tied a specific meaning. It is not centered exclusively on something biological or phenotypical, but is a concept created by society that has incredible value in everyday life, though it is situational and not always guaranteed. This notion of whiteness as property is readily evident with regard to African American athletes in professional sports. Professional athletes’ statuses as celebrities, as affluent African Americans, and as people with power provide a fertile ground wherein the whiteness as an attribute converts into a valuable commodity. Unfortunately, this commodity is severely …show more content…
Sport “offers African Americans opportunities and resources rarely found in other institutions in society” (Hartmann). The ideology of sport transcends the boundaries of race, as it is predicated upon performance, not appearance. Sport itself, on the surface, does not appear to discriminate based upon the color of one’s skin, rather their size, speed, and strength. This acceptance of all races and ethnicities has a lasting effect on some aspects of society and shows that anyone can do well on an even playing field. For elite athletes in particular, the financial rewards at least grant what we might call a conditional or situational whiteness, in that they are insulated from some of the worst effects of institutionalized racism today. These Black professional athletes have now moved up the hierarchical scale and sit just above the normal, everyday Black, but below white; it is a bit of a gray area. They are still physically Black, but socially and economically they are often treated as though they are in possession of …show more content…
Sport “is a model of, and constitutional symbol for, race relations in the United States” (Hartmann). The sports realm is a world within a world, with its own distinct set of rules, regulations and social politics that differentiate it from society as a whole. Sport is not racially exempt. The last century of sports history has certainly witnessed progress in terms of racial inclusion, along with continued evidence of overt racism and entrenched bigotry, but since the days of Jack Johnson, sport has been much more accepting of athletes of all races and ethnicities, providing them the arena to excel regardless of the social and cultural happenings of the outside world. Within this athletic realm, sport creates a shield to defend against the world’s racism and in doing so has afforded the Black athlete the luxury of owning