Race and Sports in America: An Historical Overview

Abstract

Although sport is one of the dominating cultural practices in the social life of the United States, it traditionally was viewed as a discrete social phenomenon largely untouched by the problems of American society. In challenging this traditional portrayal, scholars often characterize sport as a "microcosm of society." As such, sport has revealed the dominant attitudes and practices regarding race relations in the United States throughout the country's history. Consistent with this conceptualization of sport, this article provides an historical overview of the experiences of blacks in American sports. Beginning with the slavery era of American history, the article demonstrates that African American's experiences in sports have largely paralleled their experiences in the broader dimensions of American society.

Keywords: race, sport