Sport and the Black Community
- Sedric McClure (Iowa State University)
Abstract
An American sociologist has dubbed sport as the national religion. Religion, a Latin term which means to bind, appears to make the sociologist's characterization of American sport quite accurate. American popular culture has ordained major sports figures with supernatural status at worst, or demi-God status at best. Perhaps sports stars fill a void in the lives of Americans unlike any other segment of society. Sport embodies all the great ideals of American patriotism, loyalty and rugged individualism; a saga replete with characters overcoming odds in the face of adversity. This session will explore racial myths that have plagued the Black community in sports, Black achievement in sport, and the struggle for democracy and human decency.
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