I am almost finished with the book and I found a interesting chapter. In chapter 10 I read the story of Robert Johnson the first African American owner of a professional sports team. Johnson was not the first man to own a sports franchise as Rube Foster founded the Negro league in 1920. But Johnson purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats made him the first black majority owner. Johnson earned his wealth from starting the television station Black Entertainment Television also known as B.E.T. Johnson started with a loan of 15,000 dollars never thinking his business would grow to the empire it is today. B.E.T programmed Black College football games, music videos and gospel on Sunday mornings trying to serve to African American interests. The company was a hit and turned into a 24 hour program competing with MTV. Johnson took B.E.T. public and later sold the team for 3 billion dollars to Viacom. From slaves to playing sports African Americans where always the product, owned by the white owner. Rob Johnson success proved that a black man could run an empire and could put on a show like everyone else.
Johnson ownership brought the African American race one step closer but did not create a change of equality. Curt Flood made the connection that it wasn’t enough to be allowed to play the game but that history and the legacy it offered demanded that people must fight to change the system not just buy into it. Johnson was the first to buy into it and hopes other African Americans can spread the movement.
Why are there so few African American owners?
Did Robert Johnson favor African Americans?
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