An Exercise in Subtleties and the Transmission of Racism: An Analysis of Sports Illustrated Covers

Abstract

This paper examines racial messages in sport and how racial ideologies may be communicated through media sources dedicated to sports coverage. Our research specifically explores the changing participation levels of black and white athletes in professional basketball and football, and the extent to which these athletes were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine between 1954 and 2004. As an institution, sport has played a major role in both revolutionizing and reinforcing racial attitudes. Since the 1960s, corresponding with the Civil Rights Movement, the number of professional minority athletes has increased greatly. Their representation on the cover of Sports Illustrated has also increased, but not necessarily in relation to their participation rates.