The Right Means for Social Mobility?

Differences can be noted when discussing the desires and motives of black and white families in America. In my American Studies class last week, my teacher Mr. Bolos brought up provocative statistics from an NPR story by Frank Deford titled, "The Pitch for More No. 42s". He goes on to explain how while 56 percent of college football players and 64 percent of college basketball players who are from the "Big 6" power conferences (Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Pac-12, and Big East) are black, only 2.8 percent of college student bodies are composed of male African-Americans. 2.8 Percent.

Deford also talks about how only 7 percent of coaches and athletic directors at Division I schools are black. This point ties into the research paper I am writing at school about racial disparity in the NBA, but also relates to the idea of social mobility for blacks in America.

Deford sees blacks coming from "poorer neighborhoods" relative to whites living in the suburbs playing college athletics as a means of social mobility. Not just Deford share this view, however. Joseph Graves, author of The Race Myth: Why We Pretend Race Exists in America, corroborates Deford's ideas of black athletes and social mobility in his book: "Sports had already become an acceptable avenue for the advancement of African-American individuals, in part due to the racist ideology that portrayed blacks as innately superior in some forms of athletic performance, such as running and jumping” (Graves Jr., 151). Graves idea of blacks "portrayed...as innately superior in some forms of athletic performance" is especially interesting to me. Could this racial stereotype be why whites feel out of place playing these black-dominated sports? Could it be why blacks strive for athletic success over academic success?

The research Deford presented in his story seems to think these questions have been answered in the numbers already, and I seem to agree.

Slave Owner - Slave Dynamics on Today's Basketball Court?

A recent development with Mike Rice, now former head coach of the Rutgers men’s basketball team, shows footage of Rice beating his players at practices. Here is a clip:

I was shocked when I heard news of a Division I basketball coach (a school moving to the Big Ten next year) beating his players, but knew immediately how relatable it is to my studies in school at this time. I am researching around the question: Why are there more black players and fewer black executives, or positions of importance, in the NBA?

My studies have been anchored behind the book "Forty Million Dollar Slaves" by Bill Rhoden, a black sports columnist for the New York Times (Click here to read further about Rhoden's book). The book talks about blacks struggles in sports throughout history and their failure to collectively cash in on positions of authority.

Rhoden talks about Muhammad Ali and his refusal to join the U.S. Army, risking everything: "When Ali was stripped of his title, it was as if he were being whipped by the overseer" (Rhoden 18). While Ali being stripped of his heavyweight does not relate directly to the players of the Rutgers basketball team, it has relevance. On a basketball court dominated by blacks, these players were being stripped of their dignity by Coach Rice with his actions. Mike Rice is representing the "overseer," physically throwing basketballs and abusing his players.

Rice's actions against his players were completely out of line, and the university did well by firing him. This reflects negatively on white coaches, but especially on the progression of integration in the sports world. If Mike Rice, a white coach, is beating his (predominantly black) players like this in 2013, how far have we really come regarding racial issues and sports in America? An interesting question to consider. Feel free to respond in the comment section below.