Protests in the name of racial justice have swept the nation in recent weeks. It’s estimated that up to 26 million Americans in over 550 different locations have participated in Black Lives Matter demonstrations. The New York Times reports that this might actually be largest movement in US history. And yet, this unified uprising, inspired activism, and demand for justice wasn’t just confined to US boarders. People all across the world collectively raised their voices in support and solidarity for Black lives in America and beyond. And while today, there are far fewer people physically protesting out in the streets, the importance and the urgency of the work still remains.
Dismantling systemic racism in this country will require a multi-faceted approach— all incredibly big, complex, social issues do. We need macro-level policy changes, absolutely. We need systems and institutions to transform the way they think and act, that’s a given. And we’re also going to need smaller-scale, practical strategies that we can employ on the ground in communities that work to change hearts and minds of everyday people like you, me, our neighbors, and friends.
One of the most effective ways to combat bias is to cultivate empathy and understanding. And one of the best ways to do that is via direct experience and exposure. Simply stated: when we work, play, and learn alongside people who are different than us, we are far less likely to to discriminate, make unfair assumptions, or hold negative biases against them. When we get to know people, we realize that regardless of skin color, race, religion, ethnicity or creed — we have so much more in common than we do that makes us different.
One simple, straightforward, practical, semi-innocuous way to facilitate this kind of direct experience and exposure to people who look, think, and act differently than you, is via sport.
Yes, sport.
Sport participation is incredibly powerful in combating racial bias, because it exposes you to people who look (race, ability, etc) and think (religious, political, etc) differently than you. Sport provides a regularly scheduled opportunity to learn and play alongside people with diverse ideas, experiences, and ways of doing things, in an environment where differences aren’t the focus, but teamwork and cooperation are. And while it would be rare for subjects like systemic racism or injustice to be directly discussed during sanctioned practices or games, sport provides a sort of softer conduit to bridge and connect over those topics indirectly, which, in many cases, can actually be more effective in the long run than having an explicit conversation head-on.
But perhaps the most important reason that sport can be an effective means to help combat racial prejudice is because the entire point of sport is to work cooperatively with one another for the purposes of achieving something bigger than any one person could themselves. This is the heart, the crux, and the entire point of team sports. Not only are you working and playing alongside people that may be different than you, it’s that you see yourselves as TEAMMATES (literally and metaphorically) with these same individuals. The constant repetition of the idea that the team is more important than any one individual, and that you help, support, and stand in solidarity with your teammates is powerful conditioning we receive through sport. This mentality transcends sport and influences your worldview off the pitch, too. And this — this, is what makes sports extra potent in combating prejudice… racial or otherwise.
Am I suggesting that sport THE solution to ameliorating systemic racism and bias in the US? Of course not. This is a huge issue and there isn’t just one single, sole strategy that’s going to get us there. The approach to dismantle racial prejudice in this country is going to have to be attacked from many angles, at many different levels, and will require multi-faceted solutions. I’m merely proposing that sport is a good one to have in the mix.
Sport is often dismissed as “extra-curricular”, “entertainment”, or “just a game.” But the truth is that sport is so much more than that. Just ask anyone that plays. Sport boasts a myriad of benefits, both interpersonal and intrapersonal, builds strong character, and teaches valuable life skills that benefit you for years beyond your playing days. And especially in light of the national reckoning around race that we have going on in our country right now, sport can be an effective platform to initiate meaningful connection between a diverse group of people, and more importantly, to foster a deep understanding that despite our differences, at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team.
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