Sports and Race in Washington, DC Essay -- Essays Papers

Sports and Race in Washington, DCIn 1947, Jackie Robinson broke Major League baseb completelys pretension barrier. He went on to become a symbol of positive agitate in the United States, an early indicator of the impending civil propers movement. During the 1940s, 50s, and 60s African-Americans were in stages hired into each of the major professional sports leagues. In fact, the sports arena was atomic number 53 of the scratch places where blacks were accepted on a national scale. However, not all professional sports teams welcomed black athletes with open arms. Unfortunately, segregation in professional sports occurred right here in the District long after Jackie Robinson play his first game for the Dodgers. The National Football Leagues Washington Redskins, who played their home games in the District of Columbia, were still segregated in 1961. not only were the Redskins still segregated, they were the only team in the NFL who had not so far signed a black player. The owner of the Redskins, George Preston Marshall, was a pompous racist, averse to curb his prejudices. Marshalls only concerns were making money and staying trusty to stodgy and bigoted politicians in power at the time. Marshall paralleled the governmental institutions of the early 1960s. He conducted business and made money at the expenditure of African-Americans and ignored their ineluctably, just as the government often ignored the needs of African-Americans of Washington. In fact, the Redskins target audience until the mid-sixties was primarily not Washington, DC, plainly the south. Americas south, like the District of Columbia, had a large African-American population that had been abused for hundreds of years with the institutions of slavery, and segregation. African-Ameri... ... though unintentionally, the move will be in the direction of a constituency they cultivated for a good circumstances of their existence (Denlinger M4). The constituency that Denlinger is s peaking of is the south. For years, Marshall marketed his team to a white gray audience with radio and television contracts. At the time of Marshalls ownership the south was an area of the United States that was home to rampant racism. To George Marshall, the gray audience was key it seemed to enjoy the all white Redskins in the 1950s, and back up the team. Building the team a bowl outside of the city would plain bring the team back into the shadow of George Marshall. Marshall catered to a southern audience during his time as owner, just as Cooke wished to cater to suburbanites with his stadium plan. In both cases, the fan base of the District appears to be ignored.