Hip-hop has become one of the best-known genres in the world. Although the focus of hip-hop is on music, it has influenced many other industries. The most notable is the intersection of hip-hop, sport, and film. The connection between hip-hop and sports is in the competitiveness that both sectors have. The recent movie Black Panther (2018) has served as a great platform to promote the culture to people around the globe. In addition, it helps bring attention to important issues. One of them is connected to college sports and whether student-athletes should be able to receive money for being on the team. These students put in a lot of work to achieve successes and to be able to play in the NCAA Division. Due to the fact that colleges make profits from these games, the student-athletes should be paid for their efforts.
Hip-hop has been an essential part of the US culture for a long time. It is characterized as “America’s most-consumed genre” (Greenburg, 2018). However, it was not always the case. As Payne stated (2018), hip-hop has had a long history from being perceived as a negative influence for people to one of the most popular genres in music. In addition, it is unarguable that hip-hop has influenced other industries, including sport. The movie Black Panther (2018) has highlighted the hip-hop culture, although it is not the first commercially successful project that promotes the genre. According to Greenburg (2018), “the superhero saga has provided a unique mainstream platform” (para. 4). This is beneficial for hip-hop and other industries it influences.
The connection of the movie to sports is not solely in hip-hop. Black Panther (2018) serves as a great promotion of the culture that was taken on by many professional athletes. Many have celebrated their heritage by saluting “Wakanda Forever” which originates from the Black Panther (Boren, 2018). This serves as a connection between hip-hop, movies, and sports. However, there is another connection, “the winning at all costs mentality is not just a college athletics phenomenon,” it is very similar to the mentality of hip-hop (Hawkins, 2017 p. 133). In this light, the question of paying college athletes for their work arises.
The debate regarding whether college athletes should be paid or not is somewhat controversial. On the one hand, the mission of an academic institution is to provide students with knowledge. Paying students create inconsistency in such a purpose. On the other hand, nowadays colleges profit from their athletes through ticket sales and television broadcasts. Therefore, sharing the revenue with the students is a fair payment for the efforts these students put in.
Firstly, the history of college sports had significantly evolved since the NCAA was created. Nowadays, they receive revenue from various contracts. “Numerous universities have changed their athletic conference affiliation for well-publicized financial reasons” (Katz, Vaughn, and Gilleran, n.d., p. 1). It is undeniable that what these institutions are profiting from is the result of work that the athletes present. However, it can be argued that being a part of a popular college team is motivation on its own. “Participation in professional revenue-generating sports will likely remain an aspiration for many collegiate sports participants” (Bimper, Harrison, & Clark, 2013, p. 2).
Secondly, college sports have become extremely competitive, and to have any significant results, one must work extremely hard. Katz et al. (n.d.) state that these athletes can no longer be considered amateurs, considering efforts and professionalism they have to put in to succeed. It can be argued that sports scholarships are a form of repayment for the effort. However, as was previously mentioned, the institutions generate significant profits from college sports.
Finally, professional sports are connected to various injuries that the athletes can receive. With unpaid college students, an issue of compensation for the recovery arises. The New York Times drew attention to the problem after an injury of one of the athletes (as cited in Katz et al., n.d.). As the article stated, the incident “inflamed the debate about the treatment and care of unpaid college athletes who help generate hundreds of millions of dollars for their universities” (as cited in Katz et al., n.d., p. 1). The colleges should provide payments for their students to compensate for the injuries they receive during the games. However, it is essential to understand that not every college can make a lot of money for their sports teams. Those who are not famous cannot be compared to those in the NCAA Division. Therefore, the institutions that do not profit much from their teams should be able to decide whether to pay the athletes or not individually.
Overall, college sports can no longer be considered an amateur sports. Considering the facts, these students should be able to receive money for playing in the NCAA Division, as in most cases the colleges are profiting from the games. The other institutions, whose sports teams are not as popular, should have a right to decide on their own whether they can afford to pay their athletes or not. However, they should provide support in case any injuries occur. The student-athletes that play in the NCAA Division should be able to control and earn money off their likeness.
Critical Analysis
The syllabus is well organized and brief. It gives a clear understanding of what the course is going to be about. The thing that can be added is a detailed course objective to explain in detail what the students should know after they have completed the course.
References
Bimper, A. Y., Harrison, L., & Clark, L. (2013). Student Athletes in College Sport Diamondsin the Rough: Examining a Case of Successful Black Male. Journal of Black Phycology, 39(2). Web.
Boren, C. (2018). ‘It’s everything’: Black athletes are celebrating with ‘Wakanda Forever’ salutes. The Washington Post.
Coogler, R. (Director). (2018). Black Panther [Film]
Hawkins, B. J., Carter-Francique, A. R., & Cooper, J. N. (Eds.). (2017). Critical Race Theory: Black Athletic Sporting Experiences in the United States. New York, NY: Springler Nature.
Greenburg, Z. O. (2018). ‘Black Panther’ Boosts Hip-Hop Where the Grammys Couldn’t (Or Wouldn’t). Forbes.
Katz, R., Vaughn, I., & Gilleran M. (n.d.). Nine points to consider regarding the payment of college athletes. Web.
Payne, O. (2018). 3 Areas of Society Hip-Hop Culture Will Dominate By 2020. Forbes.