Summary Of Contemporary Race Relations: Symbolic Racism

Theory Paper 1

Contemporary Race Relations: Symbolic Racism

By Charles Kingsbury

SPM5016

Abstract

It’s clear that opportunity in sport, whether it be head coaching positions or roles of power within athletic organizations, are limited to minorities, particularly African-Americans. Yet, our society believes this is a direct result of a lack of interest among minorities or the lack of minorities who qualify for said roles. However, as our readings have shown us (Smith and Hattery 2011), this notion stems from a new branch of contemporary race relations theory called symbolic racism. I will examine the effect symbolic racism has had in shaping the supposed level playing field in sport and sport management. I will bring to light the lack

112). Sociologist Bonilla-Silva (2006) presents symbolic racism as a new belief that minorities no longer experience discrimination as they did before, which in turn holds them accountable for their shortcomings and problems. Per Smith and Hattery, “Bonilla-Silva demonstrates that people ignore everyday racism because they believe racism exists only in the explicit forms it did before the modern Civil Rights revolution of the 1960s,” (Smith and Hattery, 2011, pg. 112). In turn, this ignorance puts blame on minorities for lower graduation rates and higher rates of unemployment despite the overwhelming evidence that suggests structured discrimination remains. When applied to sport and sport management, it is evident that minorities, particularly African-Americans, are marginalized due to built-in systematic flaws across college athletics and professional organizations. Symbolic racism, when applied to sport and sport management, suggests that minorities are unable to secure leadership roles, as head coaches, quarterbacks or general managers, because aren’t

More often than not, offensive-minded coaches are chosen over former defensive coordinators. More than half of the current 32 NFL head coaches were offensive coordinators at one point in their career. Yet there are only four minority offensive coordinators in the NFL today. In an interview with former Yahoo! Sports writer Michael Silver (2013), current Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis gave his take on the denied access. "Really, the reason why there aren't a lot of guys calling plays is that you have to have people ascending to quarterbacks coach and jobs that lead to coordinator positions. And that's simply not happening," Lewis said in the interview. "There are a lot of good coaches who aren't getting those opportunities." Another issue that could be stonewalling potential minority candidates is the simple fact that there are few minority quarterbacks who play in the NFL and go on to become quarterback coaches. Week 3 of the NFL will see only seven minority quarterbacks start. Of those seven, Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston is just the fourth signal-caller in NFL history to be taken first overall in the NFL Draft. The underrepresentation of minority quarterbacks in the NFL is a microcosm of the institutional discrimination that takes place in the league today. The perception that there aren’t enough qualified minority coaches or quarterbacks in the NFL is dangerous for the future