Did you know that the color of the skin could lead to death? This is the situation in the society as championed by the proponents of racial discrimination and injustices. The case is clear to all people in the community such as athletes, pastors, and even the police. In 2012, a seventeen-year-old boy died from bullet wounds from a gun fired by security personnel. The primary reason behind the excessive use of force is suspicion based on the mode of clothing. Such acts of discrimination are the reason behind the heightened levels of injustices propelled towards the black people in the society. Athletes have been on the front line for fighting crimes, but their efforts fail due to lack of support from fellow players as well as fear of punishment from the club as well as the sponsors of the brand.
The basis of racial prejudice is the constant fights to measure the stronger race. Whites perceive the blacks to be inferior. On the other hand, the blacks fight to prove to the whites that they are not any weaker. In 1908, the first winner of world heavyweight champion was of African descent. However, the white opponent could not believe it from the perception that blacks are weaker than them. Most African children do not fathom the achievements of such black persons since the curriculum concentrates on the white people. Due to lack of information, it becomes hard for the athletes to guarantee a unified from towards fighting racial injustices. Most athletes undertake active participation in fighting racial prejudice. However, the success rate is meager due to the fear of punishment from the board running the team as well as the leadership of institutions for those in school. Forms of punishment include cancellation of an endorsement as well as sponsorship.
Some of the players believe that other forms of demonstrations might deliver better results. The division makes it impossible for the athletes to form a team that fights off the injustice vigorously. In the group, some of the players are white Americans. For them, the crimes do not warrant for their support since it does not affect them in any way. Combining the two points indicates how hard it is for the athletes to succeed in fighting racial injustices. However, some methods can provide better results. For example, teaching the children about the African history in the country will motivate them to team up against such practices and deliver a positive outcome. More so, the celebrities can use the social media in garnering support from the people using an anonymous account to avoid the prior repercussions. As such, it is possible for the athletes to motivate their fans without fearing the disciplinary measures. Lastly, athletes could use celebrity endorsement for the injustices. Celebrities command a huge following, and any approvals could lead to a better turnout from the people with minimum negative implications. However, corrective measures are important to avoid deterioration of the condition that might see the complete discrimination of one side.
Arnett, Autumn. "Athletes and Activism." Diverse Issues in Higher Education, vol. 31, no. 25, Jan 15, 2015, pp. 18-19.
According to the article, athletes in the educational institutions face the same challenges as their counterparts who are professional athletes in clubs. Athletes live under the strict policies governing the club or institution. Any violation of the supposed rules leads to dire consequences, which the students cannot withstand. For example, the article uses an example of the student by the name of Smith who suffered an indefinite suspension for protesting the killing of two unarmed college students by the police. From the article, it is evident that racial injustice is a widespread occurrence in the society. So biased is the system to the extent of failing to prevent the responsible officers as ideation that their actions were within the acceptable levels. This article will be very helpful in describing the scope of the issue.
Another point to note is that most of the athletes are white students who hold similar discrimination based on racial backgrounds. Since such students do not encounter the racial incidents that affect them directly, they fail to support their counterparts in protesting the same. The article will provide diverse information on mechanisms needed to mitigate the punishment given to athletes and allow them to express their rights to freedom of speech as enshrined in the constitution. More so, the article reinforces the reasons behind the reluctance of the athletes to participate actively in the demonstrations for fear of the repercussions. Lastly, the report will point out the types of racial injustices subjected to people in the society and the general feeling of the people towards the perceived unfairness. More so, the article proposes changes in how the institutions view the students to avoid penalizing them for expressing their ideas towards the injustices in the society.
Boyce, Travis. "Putting Learning into Practice: Integrating Social Media, Crowd Learning, and #ColinKaepernick in an Introductory African American History Class." Radical Teacher, no.109, 2017, pp. 21-28, 63.
The article begins by pointing out the progress made by the black people such as the elimination of the segregation rules to the point of having a president with African routes. Therefore, the author shows the importance of teaching the students the African history. The article tries to explain that the activism of the athletes might appear impossible currently. However, a complete understanding of the account will allow the young people to understand the life lived by the great-grandfather and renew their strength in fighting for justice. The knowledge derived from this article will demonstrate that the activists do not have to take a physical role in fighting racial injustices. However, the athletes can use technological advancements such as social media to sensitize the public and marshal support from the members of the public without affecting their respective careers.
In some cases, the article describes that some of the suppressed population fail to rise against the injustice from the mentality that harassment is a norm. More so, the paper details that teaching American history makes the African children oblivious to their history reducing their morale. However, the article will provide information on methods which teachers can ensure athletes support the fight against racial injustices. For example, teaching students about black athletes that made world records by defeating white persons will motivate the young minds into believing that the black color does not amount to failure. These points will be critical in writing my paper, especially when deciding the necessary steps towards ensuring that the whole fraternity of the athletes supports the war against racial injustices through an elaborate and extensive lesson on the history of the black people.
Hall, Eric A., Robert BJ Marach, and J. Marcos Reynolds. "Policy Point—Counterpoint: Do African American Athletes Have an Obligation to Fight Against Racial Injustice?." International Social Science Review 93.2 (2017): 18.
Racial injustices in countries such as the United States began during the era of slavery and discrimination. However, athletes took an active part in ending the discrimination by refusing to play with individuals of institutions promoting the vice. The article is constructive in identifying the background of the problem. For example, it describes the origin of social injustices as during the era of segregation when players of the American origin refused to compete against the black persons. Despite the long fight against racial prejudices, the article is evident on the reasons behind failure by the athletes to take an active role in fighting against those injustices. For example, some of the athletes believe that there are better ways of fighting the crimes instead of using the platform created by sports.
Secondly, some of the athletes fear the repercussions of their actions from the management of the sporting activities. Due to the fear, it becomes hard for the organizers to rally a good number of athletes to demonstrate against racial injustices in the society. The article will play a critical role in explaining the reasons behind the lack of substantial results towards fighting racial prejudices by the athletes. However, there are those athletes that sacrificed their careers and lives in fighting for the eradication of the outrage. However, it is evident that racial inequities are prevalent in the world today through racial profiling and harassment from the security agencies. Therefore, the article will explain the extent of the injustice; the role-played by the athletes since historical times and reasons behind the insubstantial results from the efforts employed by athletes.
Schmidt, Samuel H., et al. "An Experimental Examination of Activist Type and Effort on Brand Image and Purchase Intentions." Sport Marketing Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 1, 2018, pp. 31-43.
The article tries to assess the beneficial forms of activism from the athletes. The report offers an example of players from the San Francisco by the name Kaepernick and Marshall who refused to stand up for the national anthem in fighting racial injustice. However, the fans did not see them as individuals. Majority of the fans saw them as players of the team as well as brand ambassadors for the brand sponsoring the team. As a means of mitigating the effect of their actions, the brand terminated their contract leaving them jobless. The fans burned their t-shirts and labeled them unpatriotic. However, other organizations were still willing to employ them such as RushCard. It is, therefore, safe to conclude that any actions geared towards fighting racial injustice will receive both positive and negative reception.
Therefore, the article will be instrumental in the construction of the best methods of passing the message across without many negative implications. For example, the report proposes celebrity endorsements in fighting racial injustices. The target at this moment is to minimize adverse impacts while trying to get the highest support from the members of the public. Therefore, the study will capitalize on the massive following of the celebrities and use the information in garnering support for the project. However, there is always the risk of creating a brand problem when the public associates a star with a brand. In such cases, the article will assist in the formulation of other strategies such as raising the awareness in different attire or a different location. In both cases, the primary objective is to minimize the risks and maximize the knowledge as well as the benefits.
Works Cited
Arnett, Autumn. "Athletes and Activism." Diverse Issues in Higher Education, vol. 31, no. 25, Jan 15, 2015, pp. 18-19.
Boyce, Travis. "Putting Learning into Practice: Integrating Social Media, Crowd Learning, and #ColinKaepernick in an Introductory African American History Class." Radical Teacher, no.109, 2017, pp. 21-28, 63.
Hall, Eric A., Robert BJ Marach, and J. Marcos Reynolds. "Policy Point—Counterpoint: Do African American Athletes Have an Obligation to Fight Against Racial Injustice?." InternationalSocial Science Review 93.2 (2017): 18.
Schmidt, Samuel H., et al. "An Experimental Examination of Activist Type and Effort on Brand Image and Purchase Intentions." Sport Marketing Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 1, 2018, pp. 31-43.
