Introduction
Racial and gender discrimination constitute the most significant struggle for social justice in the history of humanity. The slave trade fueled discrimination among the races in the United States and designated them as either minority or majority, hence introducing stereotypes. On the other hand, the traditional patriarchal society assigned gender roles that gave power to men and barred women from participating in community activities such as sports.
The stereotyping of minority races and genders became the prerequisite for the barriers placed on the sporting domain, as minorities and women were not allowed to participate. Women’s sports participation proved futile as continuous obstacles were placed in their way. Men from minority communities also underwent segregation and were prohibited from participating in sports in the major leagues.
The discrimination was extreme, as women caught spectating the male athletes were put to death. African Americans, on the other hand, were not allowed to participate in mainstream leagues and, therefore, lacked recognition. Experiences of different athletes who were discriminated against based on race and gender proved that any person can achieve their goals regardless of the barriers placed before them.
Key Barriers
Critical barriers in the lives of athletes were placed in the form of sanctions and social policies. For example, the sanctions on women have constantly evolved due to the changing social climate. For instance, women were barred entirely from participating in or spectating at all sports before the Second World War.
However, after the war, the barrier was eliminated (Griffith, ch. 31, pp. 261). On the other hand, men from the minority were segregated as per the Jin Crow laws and were made to believe that they were not fit to participate. The Jim Crow laws made racial discrimination legal, and blacks were not allowed to participate in leagues similar to whites (History Day Documentary).
Further, the exclusion of blacks from significant leagues and mainstream teams jeopardized their ability to participate and take part in the games. Blacks were stereotyped as people who lacked the mental ability to participate effectively in the sport. The white supremacists in the sporting realm used the justification that even though the blacks had the physical capacity, their mental ability could not allow them to participate.
Essential Experiences and Attempts to Break Barriers
Texas Western
The Texas Western team underwent discrimination and significant barriers that could hinder them from excelling in sports. When the team played against Kentucky in 1966, their experience demonstrated that African Americans had no place in the sporting domain (History Day Documentary). The case showed how the blacks in the US had limited opportunities to participate in college sports. That is why when the starting team featured five black players, the whites did not approve of it and were unhappy (History Day Documentary).
Moreover, the blacks were segregated and only allowed to play in separate leagues, which had limited resources and lacked recognition. It is further imperative to note that another critical experience by the black players in the United States was the biased media coverage, as limited airtime was accorded to them. The black players, however, attempted to break the barriers through three main prongs: determination, resilience, and exceptional talent through practice (Griffith, ch. 31, pp. 262).
Unlike others who would have walked away in fear, the blacks in the Texas Western team were determined to overcome all barriers by ensuring they practiced for the games and played with zeal and determination (History Day Documentary). When they won against the whites who considered themselves superior, the stereotypes were challenged, and their barriers were eliminated. Their victories were used by the civil rights movement to prove that the discriminated blacks were not lesser humans. The hard work, resilience, and determination displayed by African Americans in the sporting domain played a significant role in breaking the barriers.
Women’s Experience Throughout History
Throughout sports history, women have faced extreme discrimination that has barred them from sports. The bias and unfair treatment made women miss out on opportunities to participate and benefit from the available sporting packages. The women did not have access to government funding, and colleges were not allowed to enroll in sports (Griffith, ch. 31, pp. 251). The experience made the women feel excluded, and feminist movements started advocating for gender equality.
It took the help of a visionary baron to overcome the barrier and give the women a chance to showcase their talents. When Baron DeCoubertin revised the tradition of the Olympics in 1896, the death penalty for women spectators was removed (Griffith, ch. 31, pp. 267). Women were now allowed to spectate at the athletics games but never participate in them. Even after women were allowed to participate in the sporting domain, numerous inequalities were experienced, such as unequal pay, media blackouts, and a lack of opportunities for professional growth in the sport.
Some areas that were used to discriminate against women from participating in sports were that their wombs and uteruses would be dislocated, rendering them infertile. Some were made to fear marks on the account that it would harm their physical appearance and make them look masculine (Messner ch. 7, pp. 66). The different viewpoints affected their zeal to participate; some voluntarily left out for fear of lacking social approval. The few who decided to participate were assumed to be lesbians who had decided to go against social roles and pursue their goals.
Since most of the dress codes for sports resembled the accepted male clothes, the females in sports were considered mannish lesbians, a taboo in the 19th century. The norms and sexual status quo assumed that “women’s colleges and sports teams were assumed to be places where mannish lesbians lurked” (Griffith, ch. 31, pp. 282). The labeling that women were to be engaged in activities that made them good wives conflicted with sports activities.
Consequently, women in sports were considered outcasts, and their number was reduced. Women overcame all the barriers by showing exceptional talents in their areas of participation and became the trailblazers in overcoming the stereotyping of some groups (How Althea Gibson Broke Tennis’ Color Barrier & Changed the Sport Forever). Althea’s stunning performance broke all barriers and forced the media to accord her the necessary attention and media coverage.
Media Blackouts
Men’s masculinity and the sports media have made it possible to introduce the culture of associating sports with men. In the numerous leagues being televised live, over 75% of the show males are in the game (Messner, ch. 7, pp. 63). The failure to televise women’s has reduced the players’ morale and made them unable to participate and play in the major leagues. The media, therefore, played a significant role in creating the stereotypes in sports as the women were given limited airtime, signifying that their involvement in sports was trivial.
As if the little airtime was not enough, the programs that showed women’s sports “frequently trivialized, sexualized, and deployed as locker-room jokes” (Messner, ch. 7, pp. 66). When media silence and trivialization are combined, it speaks volumes about the sexual status quo in the sports realm. It proves that only men are appreciated and expected to participate in sports. The lack of media airtime deprived women of visibility, affecting their funding. When a sport is not brought to the limelight, it cannot be funded, and its growth prospects are jeopardized.
When women do not observe their colleagues excelling in sports, their motivation to join sports is diminished, and they are likely to stay away from the sport. For example, when televised women’s sports are sexualized and make women appear as mere sex objects, other women will be discouraged from participating in sports. Consequently, the game will likely record low participation in the discourse (Messner, ch. 7, pp. 66). The women’s experience of media seclusion played a significant role in discouraging others from participating in sports.
However, the women overcame the barriers by displaying exceptional talents, which made the media cover them as they created sensations in their various fields. In tennis, for example, Serena Williams and Althea Gibson gave stunning performances, which made the media cover them to gain more followers (How Althea Gibson Broke Tennis’ Color Barrier & Changed the Sport Forever). The previous status quo, where women were trivialized in sports, was broken, and women gained respect because of their hard work, resilience, and unique talents.
Experience Based on Clothing
Discrimination has been witnessed in many ways as women constantly gain access to the sporting industry. Their dress codes were under scrutiny after the struggle to allow them to participate in sports. The policies created for women’s sportswear aimed to control what they wore during sports at the expense of their comfort. Olivia Breen is an example of a female athlete who was left speechless when her clothing was questioned and labeled as inappropriate (Woodyant 3).
The management body in the sports realm sexualized women based on their clothing and made them feel ashamed. The constant shaming and application of double standards in 21st-century clothing policy show that there is more to be achieved in the sporting realm. In an interview with the woman champion, Breen reiterated that she “wanted to be as light as possible so she could jump out, run faster” (Woodyant 4).
Although body shaming and putting women under scrutiny were aimed at discouraging them from sports, the women did not give up. Instead, they organized themselves and fought for the standardization of the clothes to overcome the double standards in sports. As a result of their hard work and exceptional talents in sports, their experience helped overcome the gender barrier and gave them respect in the sporting realm.
Landmark Cases on Breaking Racial Barriers
Plessey v. Ferguson (1896)
Gender-based discrimination and stereotyping can be analogized to the racial discrimination witnessed in the US throughout history. Although the blacks were different from the whites in appearance, the 1896 Plessey v. Ferguson ruling proved that it was a constitutional right to say that the races were separate but equal (Ashford-Hanserd et al. 412). Although the Supreme Court ruling did not directly impact the struggle for sexual equality in sports, it shed light on the fact that both sexes may be considered separate but equal in the lens of the sport (Tana, ch. 25, pp. 245). In the same way that the ruling did not stop the segregation and discrimination experienced by blacks, it was evident that the same could be experienced in the sporting realm.
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling overturned the constitutionality of separate but equal and reinforced the principle of racial equality in the colleges. Similarly, the ruling empowered women that just as the minority race received equal rights, gender-based discrimination could also be eliminated in the discourse (Ashford-Hanserd et al. 412). The two landmark cases underscored the importance of racial equality and how the struggle to end racial segregation has been fought. The Jackie Robinson documentary in the baseball realm proved that discrimination could not hinder people from attaining their goals based on the barriers placed by society (Jackie Robinson).
Although African Americans were barred from sports because of the prevailing discriminatory conditions at that time, Robinson was the first African American to overcome all the odds to become one of the iconic players of all time. He served as a trailblazer in demystifying that African Americans were less talented when he brought honor to the country by becoming the most outstanding player in 1949 (Ashford-Hanserd et al. 417). Robinson, therefore, inspired women, and their fight for equality in the sporting domain increased.
Women borrowed from the success attained by the black Americans despite the discrimination and were motivated that gender discrimination could not hinder them from participating in sports. Generally, analyzing the sports documentary shows that people’s struggle to break societal norms is not simple and requires resilience. Therefore, the feminists involved in the struggle gained insights and were empowered to fight harder to overcome the societal barriers that hindered them from participating and excelling in sports. As a result of the encouragement from the people fighting to overcome the racial barriers, women in sports and other feminists struggled to develop affirmative action, which increased their equality and ability to participate in sports (Tana, ch. 25, pp. 235).
Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972
Title IX of the Education Amendment in 1972 addressed the issue of sexual discrimination in sports at the college level and laid a strong foundation for women to participate in sports actively. The aftermath of the amendment was extrapolated to the sports domain and made women receive equal rights on the foundation laid in the learning areas. Title IX was a special legislation in the US meant to eliminate sexual discrimination in the sporting realm. According to the law, no person was to be denied the benefits of participation or be barred from sports based on their sexual orientation (Ashford-Hanserd 420). Although the law covers numerous topics on discrimination and deprivation of women in areas such as education and employment, equality in sports was more profound.
The law affected gender discrimination in athletics and actively allowed women to participate in sports at their will without restrictions. The law provided equal opportunities for both male and female students to register and participate in sports and get the relevant funding to enable them to do so (Ashford-Hanserd et al. 425). The law eliminated gender discrimination, as it required all coaches to select teams based on merit. Gender should not be used to deprive any person of the opportunity to participate.
Before the law was ratified, female athletes were deprived of exceptional facilities and funding because of the limited airtime in media coverage. However, the law overturned the status quo and required the sporting academies and people in charge to offer equal opportunities to athletes regardless of gender (Tana, ch. 25, pp. 235). Consequently, the women had a chance to participate in sports and improve their outcomes in the discourse. The law further encouraged education systems to comply with the rules through constant reporting to ensure that they comply with the present condition of ensuring that both men and women can participate and excel in sports.
The law required people to conduct regular sexual audits in sports to ensure that both genders were given equal opportunities to excel in sports (Woodyant 8). The culture of compliance and reporting improved sports outcomes, and women started being visible in the sporting realm. The struggle enabled women to access government funding and support facilities to thrive in the sporting domain.
Success Stories
Besides Robinson, who became the first African American baseball player to gain popularity and become the most significant player, Althea Gibson proved to be an icon in the tennis arena. A Tennis Channel Life describes her success story by illustrating how she became the first African American female to overcome both racial and gender barriers to attain success in the field (Tennis Channel Live). The athlete’s groundbreaking achievement from her humble, discriminated beginnings shows that people can overcome all barriers and succeed in their endeavors.
Although the struggle for equality in sports is an ongoing concern and continues to threaten success, inspirational quotes from successful athletes show that it is possible to overcome barriers and succeed (Tennis Channel Live). Inspirational quotes from Gibson show that through determination, resilience, and dedication, one can overcome all barriers and succeed in a sphere that was not easy to win. The consequence of the law allowing women to participate in sports led to the rise of feminist icons such as Serena Williams in the Tennis realm. Despite being a woman, a gender that was highly discriminated against in the sporting realm, she overcame all barriers and emerged triumphant in tennis (Serena Williams). Her skills, determination, and resilience proved helpful when she created a sensation by bringing fame to the US because of her successes.
Conclusion
Social barriers in the sporting realm continue to threaten the success of some athletes. Women, for example, are discouraged based on their fertility and stereotyped by their dress. On the other hand, racial discrimination continued to challenge minorities from being part of the prominent leagues. Consequently, the participation and level of morale, however, are lower among the minorities. However, it is imperative to note that even after the laws outlawing discrimination, numerous challenges still exist in the sporting realm, such as dress codes and media blackouts. Conversely, the success stories of people like Robinson, Serena Williams, and Althea Gibson prove that social barriers can be broken and success attained in the sporting realm.
Works Cited
Ashford-Hanserd, Shetay, et al. “Shadows of Plessy v. Ferguson: The dichotomy of progress toward educational equity since 1954.” The Journal of Negro Education Vol. 89, No. 4, 2020, pp. 410–422. Web.
Griffith, P. “Changing the game: Homophobia, sexism and lesbians in Sport.” The Quest Journal Vol. 2, No. 44, 2000, pp. 251-265
“History Day Documentary (Kentucky vs Texas Western 1966).” YouTube, uploaded by D C P, 2012. Web.
“How Althea Gibson Broke Tennis’ Color Barrier & Changed the Sport Forever.” YouTube, uploaded by Now This News, 2023. Web.
“Jackie Robinson (AMAZING MLB Baseball Sports Documentary).” YouTube, uploaded by Baseball Doc, 2015. Web.
Messner, Michael. “Reflections on communication and sport: On men and masculinities.” Communication & Sports Vol. 1, No. 2, 2013, pp. 113–124.
“Serena Williams – the story of a tennis sensation.” YouTube, uploaded by CNN, 2016. Web.
Tana, Kyle. “Realities behind America’s favorite pastime: The Dominican Republic’s cheap labor bazaar for the major leagues.” Human Rights Documents Online, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2010, pp. 225–238.
“Tennis Channel Live: Althea Gibson, Black History Month.” YouTube, uploaded by Tennis Channel, 2020. Web.
Woodyant, Amy. “For Years, Female Athletes Have Had Their Clothing Policed. Now, They’re Fighting Back.” CNN Style, 2021. Web.