"A prominent sports-law specialist sends down an indictment of
racism in sports that is impossible to ignore. Anyone desiring to
be informed about race issues and sports should read it."
"aKirkus Review"
"A new standard of excellence in writing about sports in America
begins with this book. Shropshire has approached his task with
unique skill, passion, seriousness, and intelligence."
"aHouston A. Baker, Jr., University of Pennsylvania"
"In Black and White hits harder than Lawrence Taylor. A how-to
manual not only for sports but society as well. It should be
required reading for every incoming freshman."
"aJames Lofton, former NFL All Pro, NBC Broadcaster"
"This is not merely a screed on sports' lagging track record in
combating racism. Shropshire provides workable solutions for
bringing more minorities into the coaching and business ends of
athletics."
"aUSA Today Baseball Weekly"
From the days of the Negro Leagues in baseball up to the present
when collegiate basketball factories entice and then fail to
educate young black men, sports in America have long served as a
barometer of the country's racial climate. Just as blacks are
generally absent from the upper echelons of corporate America, they
are similarly underrepresented from the front offices of the sports
industry as well. In this compact volume, Kenneth L. Shropshire
confronts prominent racial myths head-on, offering both a
descriptive history of--and prescriptive solutions for--the most
pressing problems currently plaguing sports.
At present, whites have a 95% ownership stake in professional
basketball, baseball, and football teams. And yet, when confronted
with programs intended to diversify theirfront offices, many teams
resort to the familiar refrain of merit-based excuses: there simply
aren't enough qualified black candidates or they don't know how to
network. While more subtle, this approach has the same effect as
the racist comments of an Al Campanis or a Marge Schott: it
stigmatizes and excludes African-Americans. In the insular world of
sports, characterized by a feeder system through which former
players often move up to become coaches, managers, executives, and
owners, blacks are eminently qualified. For example, after decades
of active involvement with their sport, they often bring to the
table experiences more relevant to the black players which make up
the majority of professional athletes. Given the centrality of
sport in American life, it is imperative that the industry be a
leader, not a laggard, in the arena of racial equality.
Informed by Frederick Douglass's belief that power concedes
nothing without a demand, In Black and White casts its net widely,
dissecting claims of colorblindness and reverse racism as
self-serving, rhetorical camouflage and scrutinizing professional
and collegiate sports, sports agents, and owners alike. No mere
critique, however, the volume looks optimistically forward,
outlining strategies of interest to all those who have a stake,
professional or otherwise, in sports and racial equality.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!