40 Million Dollar Slaves #2

         I have just finished reading chapter 4 and have learned a lot. In this chapter I am learning that African Americans are starting to integrate in college football and are having success. But some colleges are still not accepting African Americans and it is hurting their programs. In the chapter examples of teams who were still not acceptable of African Americans in sports where suffering. In the 60’s the new era of African Americas in college sports resulted in success. In the 1960 college football saw quarterback Sandy Stephens an African American; lead the Minnesota Golden Gophers to the Rose Bowl. In the Championship game Michigan State won with a defense anchored by Texas natives Bubba Smith and George Webster both who were African American. College Basketball saw African Americans shine In 1966, when Texas Western an all-black starting lineup beat Adolph Rupp’s all white Kentucky team to win the national title. Integration into sports at the college level pushed African Americans into fame for their stellar athletic ability, but executive and coaching positions for African Americans were to no existence .Under the integration arrangement, many black institutions were dismantled or downsized; those educators who had been heads of departments frequently became assistants or were made heads of smaller divisions. Black head coaches became assistants’ coaches. As the coaches suffer so did the African American owners who lost money from the African Americans who left their leagues. Black talent and white ownership faced a power dynamic as black athletes constantly had to prove their worth. At the same time it destroyed the black industry practically eliminating every black person involved in sports including coaches, owners, trainers, accountants, lawyers, and secretaries.

         The NFL has the Rooney Rule in which NFL teams must interview a African American for a coaching Job. Only 5 Current Coaches in the NFL are African American. Are African Americans still seeing inequality off the field as they did in the 60’s?