Racism in Professional Sports: CRT and the Take a Knee Movement

Introduction: Institutionalized Racism and Professional Sports

Racism in professional sports has been documented for decades, but only in recent years has it become more widely visible. The Take a Knee movement has sparked outrage on both sides as people fight for racial equality while others argue for patriotism. However, this protest is just one symptom of a much larger disease: institutionalized racism and how it has crossed over into sports. Theoretical frameworks such as critical race theory and colorism allow for a deeper understanding of what it means to be a person of color in professional sports and how that reality affects outcomes both on and off the field. This essay highlights what racism in professional sports looks like, how it contributed to the Take a Knee movement, and how theory helps make sense of it all.

Historical Barriers: Early Black Athletes and Integration

Professional sports in the United States was effectively a "whites only" arena until the mid-20th century. It was not until certain Black athletes became the first to achieve prominent professional positions — such as the quarterback role in American football — that any meaningful integration of people of color began to occur on the field. For example, 1953 saw Willie Thrower become the first-ever Black quarterback in American football. Even so, only one Black quarterback, Doug Williams, has led his team to a Super Bowl victory. "Doug Williams has been the only Black QB to lead his team to a Super Bowl win, when he led the Washington Redskins to blow out the Denver Broncos 42–10 in Super Bowl XXII." (Fuhrman) This illustrates not only how difficult it was to attain such positions in the past, but also how limited representation remains today, with only a handful of starting quarterback spots held by non-white players.

Jackie Robinson and the Color Barrier

No one understood the struggle of being non-white in professional sports more profoundly than Jackie Robinson. His perseverance made him one of the most celebrated athletes in history, yet he had to overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve that recognition. His story stands as one of the most powerful examples of both Black athletic excellence and the stark racism that sought to suppress it.

Robinson was an exceptional baseball player. Through his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he became the first African American in Major League Baseball. His determination set him apart and allowed him to excel despite the hostility he faced. Even amid pervasive racism, he did not allow it to diminish his performance, ultimately earning the first-ever Rookie of the Year title.

During his first season in the majors, Robinson encountered racism from opposing teams, fans, and even some of his own teammates. Yet the abuse did not derail him. He played in 151 games, hit .297, stole more bases than anyone else in the National League, and was awarded the inaugural Rookie of the Year honor. (History.com Staff)

Robinson's story — and the stories of many others like him — demonstrates that racism was rampant in professional sports throughout the mid-20th century. Some people believe it has largely disappeared in modern times, but this is not the case. As Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other ethnic-minority athletes have entered professional sports, racial barriers have persisted, preventing many from feeling fully accepted within their teams and their sports. In recent years, incidents of racism have actually increased. "The same was true in sport in 2016, where such acts tripled from 11 in 2015 to 31 in 2016, according to research… There were 104 reported incidents of racism in sports internationally in 2016." (Lapchick)

Critical Race Theory as a Framework for Understanding Sports Racism

Why does racism persist in professional sports? Critical race theory (CRT) and colorism are two theoretical frameworks that help explain its continued presence. CRT is a framework that applies critical analysis to culture and society, examining the intersections of law, race, and power. Key elements of CRT include storytelling and counter-storytelling, essentialist philosophy, and structural determinism. (Martin) When applied to professional sports, CRT can help dismantle the different dimensions of race and racism embedded in American culture that generate inequality on and off the field.

CRT's focus on social justice and transformation represents a key point of convergence between critical race theorists and anti-racist activists. Of the many subtle and damaging forms of racism, racial abuse in sport has been described as a dehumanizing process, as "those who are its target are simultaneously (re)constructed and objectified according to everyday myth and fantasy." (Hylton 335) This framework helps contextualize how racial abuse functions not merely as individual prejudice but as a systemic social practice.

The stories of athletes like Jackie Robinson provide context for understanding why racism takes root in arenas like professional sports. When Robinson played, segregation and intense racial tension pervaded the entire United States. Broader social conditions spurred acts of racism in sports, in business, and in other spheres of public life. Recognizing this historical context is essential before turning to the second theoretical framework: colorism.

Conclusion

Racism in professional sports is a real and ongoing challenge for athletes of color attempting to build careers. Athletes of the past like Jackie Robinson had to contend with racism every day and became one of the first in his field to break the major league color barrier. It was Robinson and countless others like him who made it possible for subsequent generations of athletes of color to participate in professional sports.

Nevertheless, as racism outside of sports continued, it inevitably seeped into the athletic world, culminating in the 2017 Take a Knee movement in which athletes knelt during the national anthem. The movement emerged partly in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the ways in which the American government had failed Black citizens. Through the lenses of critical race theory and colorism, it is possible to draw a meaningful line connecting the racial injustices of the past to those of the present — and to underscore the genuine need for lasting change.

Works Cited

Fuhrman, Zeke. "A History of African-American Athletes." Bleacher Report, 24 Oct. 2008, bleacherreport.com/articles/73113-a-history-of-african-american-athletes. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017.

History.com Staff. "Jackie Robinson Breaks Major League Color Barrier — Apr 15, 1947." HISTORY.com, 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jackie-robinson-breaks-major-league-color-barrier. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017.

Hylton, Kevin. "How a Turn to Critical Race Theory Can Contribute to Our Understanding of 'Race', Racism and Anti-Racism in Sport." International Review for the Sociology of Sport, vol. 45, no. 3, 2010, pp. 335–354.

Lapchick, Richard. "The Year in Racism and Sports." ABC News, 25 Jan. 2017, abcnews.go.com/Sports/year-racism-sports/story?id=45035554. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017.

Martin, Lori L. Out of Bounds: Racism and the Black Athlete. Praeger P, 2014.