Labour and sports
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16. How can racism shape the labour market opportunities and/or working conditions of racialized pro athletes (i.e., Black, Indigenous or athletes of colour)?
Racism can shape the labour market opportunities and/or working conditions of racialized pro athletes, as it engenders inequitable opportunities for advancement within the professional sports league. Racialized players, specifically Black and Indigenous people, have been confronted with acts of racial discrimination for years; and is rooted from their social history of colonization and the slavery era. Although the vulnerability of Black and Indigenous and other people of colour has been long diminished, the practices of racism were still preserved, which caused racialized pro athletes to undergo many challenges in their pursuit for professional athletics. Aboriginal peoples had experienced colonization, which forbidden them from practicing their culture, and generated stereotypes that altered with the perception society has on Aboriginal peoples. Aboriginal peoples culture is perceived to be of physical aggression, and view them as savages by the dominant class in society. An example from the reading by John Valentine (2012), regarding Waneek Horn-Miller, who was the captain of the Canadian Olympic Women’s water polo team, and was discharged from the team after 9 years due to her teammates instilled with fear. (p. 111) This goes to show that the stereotypes that were historically constructed, continue to prevail, and consequently, can hinder the aspirations Aboriginal peoples have with opportunities in professional sports and decolonization. The perception of Indigenous peoples as savages is the reason to why they were formerly excluded from sports. However, Aboriginal athletes in North America are continued to be underrepresented, which can be emerged from their impoverished state and segregation from the dominant culture (Valentine, p. 111). Aboriginal athletes that decide to pursue a career in professional sports such as hockey, are faced with challenges that arise from segregation from the dominant culture. The challenges
