Essay about Black Athletes Are Considered Less Educated

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Nile Ingram
Melanie James
ENGL 50­25
24 November 2014
Black Athletes are Considered Less Educated
Throughout our history athletes in general face hardships concerning the stereotypes that as well follow. From the criticism of the fans, news reporters, and the other players as well, don’t forget about society itself. Unfortunately the media illustrates African American athletes too often in a pessimistic way. One of the myths is that black athletes are described to as is “dumb jocks”; in other words less educated. This problem leads to problems revolving around the issue that they are over reliant on their talents, sexually aggressive, and exclusively athletically talented. The African American football player Michael Oher from the movie
The Blind Side based on a true story is a great example of a person who is stereotyped as someone who is dumb and only knows violence. In a scene where Michael’s principal, teachers, and football coach are gathered around a table they discuss the academic progress of Michael. They start out by discussing his 0.6 GPA and how he doesn’t listen to his teachers and chooses not to take quizzes.
As they dive deeper into his records, they believe that he won’t be successful at school due to his troubled past, and that his other teachers from his previous schools gave him Ds so they wouldn’t have to have him and could pass him to other schools. This scene clearly illustrates that the teachers view Michael as being dumb and violent. Unfortunately, with his dangerous and struggled background the teachers come to think that there was no hope for him in their school.

In reality when teachers receive black students it sends a message they must be reckless and uneducated as well. However, Michael Oher is not the only individual who has been depicted by this stereotype of less education.
Another media example is a character named Harry from the movie
Glory Road based on a true story. In scene a with Harry and his mother, are in their living room with a coach who wants to recruit Harry and give him a scholarship to play on his basketball team in Texas. His mother tells the coach that she always wanted her son to have a good education but she was afraid to send him out there. She was worried that if she does the students and teacher especially would treat him unequally, and she says “those people won’t believe that my son would not have the potential.” It’s obvious that in this scene that education is very important to Harry mother and coach. What’s most important his how Harry’s mother described the people in Texas, and how they have no confidence towards African Americans. This stereotype can also be seen other black athletes as well.
The basketball players from the movie
Coach Carter are examples of people who stereotyped as being dumb jocks. In this scene, the basketball players are gathered in the library followed by their coach giving them a speech. He went on talking about how fifty percent of the class graduates and six percent go to college, and he claims that when he walks through that hallways of the school and looks inside the classrooms he sees only one person going to college.
He also explains how young African Americans athletes don’t have the drive to succeed in life other than sports, in addition he adds that if you're not school you’re probably in jail, coach
Carter says “no wonder why many of you men are confused”. This scene clearly illustrates how society views black athletes as non­driven people, people who only have a connection to sports.

When society starts to show more African Americans is sports than anything, they will most get the assumption that black athletes are uneducated than others.
When sports media consistently uses terms that embellish the image of white athletes while degrading the black athletes image, people will begin to view African American athletes as relying only on their talent. When society listens
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