Are all African-Americans Great Basketball Players?
May 20, 2015 Assumptions 3 comments dsamson15
The stereotype that all African Americans are great at basketball seems to be true. When you look at profession sports such as in the NBA, NFL and track and field, the African American population towers over all other races. Many people believe you can trace this back to the African origin. The fact that they are colored does not mean that they will automatically be good at sports but it could mean that the sport will come natural. A physical trait that comes from the tropical area of Africa is a denser skeletal structure and a low body fat percentage. This especially gives them an advantage when it comes to sprinting and long distance running.
Depending on where and how a person grows up can change their genetic advantage as well. If a person grows up in the region their ancestors did with the same climate and environment, they will likely end up with these African advantages. While the African Americans who have grown up in a different place other than their home land and have adapted to these standards of living may not retain their performance related to heredity. Although African Americans may have a genetic advantage that does not mean they do not have to work hard to become great. This genetic heredity does not mean that every single African American is better than other races so do not get discouraged if you are not African American and aspire to be great at sports because no matter what your background may be like, how you excel in sports relates mostly to the time you put in to be great.
3 Comments
This is a very interesting post. It mentions stereotypes and how they are created. Also, how these stereotypes aren’t always false in the culture of sports. Are there other stereotypes found in the world of sports that may not always be addressed as common as this one?
This is an informative post that gets me thinking. Many people think differently about this subject and offer interesting opinions. Do you think that there are any other reasons why African-Americans seem to be better athletes? Do you think that where they come from creates an impact because of the poverty? Many of them don’t have money for the type of entertainment that we have. Would it make sense to say they are better because they spend all of their time practicing?
I really enjoyed reading this post! Although I was wondering why the climate affects their skeletal structure and body fat percentage to such a degree? What would cause them to require thicker bones?