Mauhammad Ali
African-Americans have been regarded as the lower caste in society by their white counterparts since they were brought to America via slave ships. African-Americans have been also been ostracized and socially persecuted by their white counterparts in the past (Jim Crow Laws) and even today. However, African-Americans are 'socially acceptable' by society for their athletic prowess and achievements in the arena of sports. How can this be? Our class has been discussing this theme all semester. This is an example of the relationship between race, sports, and society. Sports allows individuals regarded as 'lesser individuals' to enter spaces previously occupied by people regarded as 'the upper echelon' of society. This will be the theme of this paper. It will examine why 'race' matters when it comes to understanding sports, in particular, and society, in general. In addition, it will examine the world through the prism of race. How did sports originate? Sports was a way in which individuals could relax and get away from the daily grinds of life in the late 19th and early 20th century. The most popular sports were baseball and boxing. These sports allowed 'blue-collar' workers to socialize and have a good time.
It is the sport that brings everyone together and makes you feel like you are part of the game. For example, do you think that society would care about the ideologies of Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan if they were not athletes and generators of outlandish amounts of capital? No! Society views African-Americans as inferior, inarticulate, and uneducated people amongst the many stereotypes. The relationship between race, sports, and society has had a profound effect in American life. This has helped break down racial stereotypes because now these individuals are visible in the media and society is hanging on their every word. What does all this mean? It is simple. Boxing is another sport, which helps understand the relationship between race sports, and society. Society responded more to the words of Ali than they did to the late Martin Luther King, Jr. Let's examine these two particular sports. Until the emergence Joe Louis, every heavyweight champion was white. How could this be true? Ali was a man that generated money for people; therefore, they had to listen to him. He was good as a very talented baseball player. Boxing is a sport that is popular all over the world, but in the United States, it means a lot more. His accomplishments as an athlete allowed him to enter spaces that no other African-American could, and he succeeded! As mentioned before, boxing and baseball are two sports that help understand the relationship between race, sports, and society. When these athletes suggest these changes, one had better believe that their voice is definitely going to be heard. African_American men were not viewed in the aspect.
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