African Americans in Sports: Contemporary Themes

Research on African American athletes generally focuses on negative stereotypes of physical prowess and socially controversial themes. Most studies investigate racism, prejudice, discrimination, and exploitation experienced by African American athletes. Many studies contrast African American and white athletes on a number of variables that support prevailing elitist stereotypes and denigrate African American athletes. But few studies investigate the diverse and complex cultural dichotomies within the infrastructure of sport in the African American community.
The chapters that make up this volume were written by noted scholars who were selected based on their expertise in their specific academic areas. They write about different components of the experience of African American male athletes. Many chapters were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of African American Men. This volume should be read by all those involved in athletics, as well as by sports sociologists and African American studies scholars.