“There’s No Race On The Playing Field”

Abstract

Contrary to patterns in the public opinion literature, the authors predicted White and Black athletes would agree at similar levels that racial and ethnic discrimination is no longer a problem. Using survey data collected from 533 intercollegiate student athletes as part of the 1996 Progress in College/Social and Group Experiences study, they found White and Black athletes did not differ significantly in their perceptions of discrimination. The authors investigated interrelationships among perceptions of discrimination and athletic and racial identity centrality, proposing that athletic identity dampens racial identity and perceptions of discrimination. They found Black student athletes strongly identified with athletics reported low levels of racial identity centrality. In contrast, White student athletes strongly identified with athletics reported high levels of racial identity centrality. Finally, among Black student athletes, high levels of athletic identity centrality were positively associated with the perception that racial and ethnic discrimination is no longer a problem.