Lee McElroy, AU's director of athletics
Lee McElroy shatters image of African-American athletes
By MIKHAILINA KARINA
Professional athletes are demi-gods. This is the image perpetuated by American society, and many values and attitudes in our culture are shaped by sports, according to Lee McElroy, AU's director of athletics, who spoke at last Tuesday's discussion on "African American Athletes in the Twenty-First Century: Perception, Reality, and Results."
While the past 100 years were marked by the significant athletic and social accomplishments of people, such as Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Tiger Woods, Mohammad Ali, and Michael Jordan--people who broke through the glass ceiling and became leaders--today's athletes face a different reality.
"The perception of African American athletes is shaped by the media and consumers who feel that we are less intelligent, limited in the moral and ethical dimensions, irresponsible, and lacking accountability for our behavior," McElroy said. African American athletes are characterized as having natural ability and toughness, while white athletes are described as intelligent, creative, leaders, team players, and productive. "The cultural and media shapers continue to promote this view of African American athletes despite evidence to the contrary."
He cited a recent example of extensive media coverage of NFL players Ray Lewis and Rae Carruth who, in separate cases, are charged with murder. "I understand the hideous nature of these alleged crimes, but African American males are murdered in our communities daily and treated as part of the landscape by the media," McElroy said. "But rich, African American athletes who commit crimes are a reflection of their inability to appreciate success and are viewed as subhuman and less deserving of sharing the American dream of wealth and influence."
While many African American athletes earn six-figure salaries and serve as role models for millions of teens, the $255 billion sports industry is controlled by white-owned corporations, presidents, athletic directors, and managers.
McElroy demonstrated the inequity with the following statistics: In professional sports, African Americans make up 20 percent of baseball players, 70 percent of football players, and 75 percent of basketball players. However, fewer than 0.1 percent of African Americans have equity as owners, and fewer than 5 percent are managers in professional and college sports. "If you examine the corollary sectors of media, marketing, technology, facilities, medicine, advertising, and public relations with professional and college organizations, African American representation is negligible," he said.
Yet in spite of lack of ownership and negative media images, a large percentage of African American youth aspire to wealth, fame, and power through sports, not business, engineering, or sciences. In reality, although just one percent of high school athletes get to play in Division I sports, 70 percent of African American student athletes think they will play in Division I and professionally, McElroy said. Furthermore, only 1 in 10,000 will make it to the professional level, where the average tenure is four years. Meanwhile, African American athletes in Division I football and basketball have the lowest graduation rates of college athletes, 44 percent.
"This information supports the perception in our society regarding African American athletes," he said. "We have 'natural ability' to play, win, entertain, and generate income, but not to own, manage, lead, or influence decisions and outcomes in the sports industry."
What can be done to ameliorate the situation? Through extensive networking and collaboration African American athletes can open doors to corporate boardrooms and eventually preside at the head of the table. McElroy said students must prepare themselves in every possible manner: academically, socially, and spiritually, and strive for strategic partnerships that highlight achievement, commitment, talent, and perseverance. "Remove all doubt and vulnerability by creating a ledger based on your preparation, education, and networking savvy," he said. "The old model of tokenism and raising the glass ceiling has failed our society.
"In the twenty-first century, African American athletes, students, staff, and professors must form critical alliances that support each other and create opportunities for success in the sports industry, as entrepreneurs, leaders, CEOs, and decision makers. Our twentieth-century legacy is based on pride, passion, strong values, commitment, talent, hard work, and understanding our history," he concluded.
