Fair play is one of the fundamental pillars of sports. In most sports, players are urged to treat their competitors with respect and to honor the rules of the game. While most players are respectful, there have been dozens of cases where players demonstrate unacceptable behavior. Racist comments and actions are among these behaviors. These behaviors go against the spirit of fair play and harmony that sports seeks to promote. Serena Williams understands the damage that racism does to sports. She has repeatedly suffered racist remarks and actions which highlight the long way that the US needs to go before racism is defeated. The racism that Williams has endured underscores the psychological and sociological underpinnings of racism.
When one reads about William’s experiences with racism, it becomes evident that there is a culture of racism in tennis. Williams suffered racism while playing on different occasions. In 2009, she complained that the umpire was being unfair when she (the umpire) threatened to penalize her for shouting while hitting the ball. This had happened again in 2004. It appears that there is a culture where tennis officials rule against black players. Psychology offers an explanation for this. It is believed that the environment plays a role in defining racist behavior (Gregoire, 2015). If one is exposed to an environment where racism is tolerated or encouraged, they are likely to engage in racist behavior. On the other hand, cultures that call on their people to embrace those who are different breed people who are opposed to racism. The culture in tennis is one that encourages racism. This culture allows one to understand why despite her prowess and remarkable talent, Williams still suffered racism.
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Tennis officials are not the only perpetrators of racist attacks. The media also appears to have played a role in fueling the attacks that Williams suffered. In the text, it is mentioned that while appearing on his show, Pierce Morgan described Williams’ victory dance as “gangster”. Morgan’s comments represent the lack of respect for the practices, values and beliefs of other communities. Williams’ dance was simply an attempt to celebrate the victory that she had achieved through dedication and despite the racism that she had endured. Williams’ case is not isolated. American media is known to stoke fires of racism and racial divisions. They propagate stereotypes and depict certain communities in negative light. Psychology offers an explanation for the damage that the media does to harmonious relations among different racial communities. In an article that they authored, Nairn and a team of other scholars explore the link between the media, racism and psychology. They note that “media contribute marginalizing particular ethnic and cultural groups depicting them primarily as problems for and threats to the dominant” (Nairn et al., 2006). Here, Nairn and his team suggest that the media portrays certain racial groups poorly. This poor portrayal can be seen in how Williams was treated. Instead of being celebrated for her role in enhancing the nation’s international image, she suffers criticism for displaying her culture. The media is undoubtedly among the forces that are driving racism.
In the discussion above, it has been pointed out that Williams was labelled a gangster for her victory dance. This is just one of the many insults and attacks that she has suffered. What makes her struggles even more saddening is that other players are forgiven for behaviors that Williams suffered attacks for. For instance, Wozniacki, another tennis player performed a dance that was similar to Williams’ victory dance. Instead of facing criticism, she was regarded as one of the best tennis players. In the text, the author notes that Wozniacki “finally gives the people what they wanted all along by embodying Serena’s attributes while leaving Serena’s “angry nigger exterior” behind.” The author’s remarks highlight the dangers of cultural appropriation. Racism becomes heightened when a community benefits from the cultural beliefs and practices of another community. This is the main argument that Thomas makes in his article on the dangers of cultural appropriation. He observes that “elements of black culture routinely are appropriated by whites as long as whites benefit and profit” (Thomas, 2017). Thomas is essentially shedding light on how the inconsiderate and casual adoption of the culture of another community fuels racism.
Psychology is not the only field that has attempted to shed light on racism. Sociology also offers intriguing insights into the forces that promote racism. Matthew Clair and Jeffrey Denis penned an article where they examine the sociological underpinnings of racism. They identify institutions as among the perpetrators of racism. While they admit that individuals are largely responsible for racist behavior, institutions also play a significant role in reinforcing racism (Clair & Denis, 2015). This can be seen in the experiences of Williams. It is true that individuals in the sport of tennis engaged in racist behavior. However, what is truer is that the entire institution of tennis promotes, actively engages in or encourages racist behavior. As noted earlier, umpires had treated Williams unfairly. These umpires serve as the face of the sport of tennis. They represent the failure of this sport to do more to tackle prejudice, bias and racism.
In conclusion, racism erodes progress that the world is making in promoting cohesion and peace. Racism can be seen in virtually all areas of life in the United States. Sports are among the areas where racism is most prevalent. Players from minority communities endure racist attacks and insults. Serena Williams represent the hundreds of players in different sports who have excelled despite the racist attacks that they continue to suffer. The experiences of Williams make it clear that greater effort is needed to tackle racism in sports.
References
Clair, M. & Denis, J. S. (2015). Sociology of Racism. Retrieved 2 nd January 2018 from https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/matthewclair/files/sociology_of_racism_clairandenis_2015.pdf
Gregoire, C. (2015). A Psychologist’s Explanation of why Racism Persists in America. Retrieved 2 nd January 2018 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/10/social-psychology-racism_n_7688910.html
Nairn, R., Pega, F., McCreanor, T., Rankine, J. & Barnes, A. (2006). Media, Racism and Public Health Psychology. Journal of Health Psychology, 11 (2), 183-196.
Thomas, P. L. (2017). Privilege is Inhumane, and Appropriation is one of its Strongest Weapons. Retrieved 2 nd January 2018 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/resisting-cultural-appropriation-a-human-response_us_5958dbbee4b0326c0a8d115d
