African American/Black Athletes Are NOT most likely Physically More Gifted!

To many not interested...this would seem like a wall of text.  If you are not interested in reading the entire thing then read only the BOLD WRITTEN.

Before I begin, I wish to make a few assertions.  This post isn't intended to air some sort of greivance.  Nor is it to establish my own insecurity as an individual because of race(I am half black /half Indian). 

The point of this post isn't even to assert that blacks are not physically gifted.  Science may pan out that, indeed, they are.

Normally, when posts like this come up stating one race is physically/mentally better or appears better than others I ignore them.  But the previous post regarding this matter has had a lively debate. I felt a need to post this because of two reasons: 1. So many people responded that I felt I could no longer ignore the issue, and 2. The converse of the previous post should be presented as a SEPARATE post entirely that blacks are not physically superior.  To give fairness to the issue.

Now, why should I even bother with this?  Havn't we been oppressed enough?  have we not dealt with racism and insecurities all our life?  So leave us alone then!  Let us celebrate our physical gifts.  So what if we are physically stronger etc. etc. 

The problem with this mentality is that if one were to agree wtih the previous post about blacks being superior then it opens a Pandoras Box.  Allowing others to claim the same about other characteristics.  The previous poster used observational evidnece coupled by some statistical data such as the fastest people, 70% of NFL is black, black athletes are faster etc.

Based on that concept one can say the same about asians and whites.  Look at them, they've got all the Nobel Prizes.  Look at them, they're all rich, they've got the inventions.  One can parade out statistics as well, 40% of Nobel Prizes won are by Jewish people.  NO BLACK PERSON AHS EVER WON A NOBEL PRIZE in Science or Economics.  All the black people I come across are not as succesful in school etc. 

Indeed, dare I even say, after that post 'that blacks are physically superior' was posted, I have an inlkling that someone who is white or of another race read it and thought: "well yea, so what? just like one race is superior in something whites are superior in intellect and success in high cognitiive work, big deal" and then moves on with his life. 

That is precisely the kind of thought process I wish to debunk.  It is HURTFUL to only black people.  Thousands of black athletes go to college every year on scholarship.  Very very very few make it into the NBA.  Very few make it into the NFL.  Most struggle through college.  Even those who make it into the big league struggle financially. 

70% of NBA retirees end up in bankruptcy!  Look it up!  not everyone is Michael Jordan.  Hell even he wasnt MJ after a while.

This sort of conversation allows blacks to think, well yea...this is what I am gifted at, physical strength, my genes allow me to by physically strong.  Whites can stick to computers and math.  I'll do this and make it into the NFL/NBA.  The thing is, as we all know, very few blacks make it into the pros.  Even the best athletes, the stars of their school don't make it in.  thats how competitive it is.  thats how few there are of people in it. 

So why do so many blacks play sports?  why do so many do it?  To them, its the glory, the attention, the all male machismo.  To many parents of these 16 and 17 year old kids, its the only way to send them to college.  They cant get academic scholarships, they know their kids wont succeed without some help.  probably wont even make it into college without sports.  So they agree with the recruiters and sign the dotted lines.  Yes, send my son to college, give him an education, an opportunity to succeed, a place where I the parent never went to.  Therein is the reason so many blacks go to college to play sports.  its the only way to get an education. 

 For many the value of college is immense.  Many of us who have had a wonderful opportunity to succeed in life come from familes of success as well(my father is a PhD engineer/MBA and succesful businessman, I'm starting med school).  But for these folk, who have never gone to college sending thier kid to college makes them think they have a better chance at success in life.  They know the numbers for the pro sports.  THey just wnat their kids to succeed.  Problem is, kids tend to ignore academics and struggle.  many students after college end up doing the same thing their parents did, struggling or not doing financially as well as others.  College isn't a one way ticket to success.  But these families think so and hope so.  they want their kids to lead better lives.  its not always the case.

This is why it is very important to debunk these kinds of stories.  Black kids need to know that its not necessarily genetic.  that they are not predisposed to being faster and stronger and perhaps as a tradeoff less intellectual.  It seems appropriate, that if one race has one gift another race should have another.  Perhaps this sort of mentality isn't mentioned.  maybe people don't think of these things openly.  but its an underlying factor.  laying there in the subconscious of people.  and when festered and growing it becomes a tumor, blocking out all other conversations about race and skill.  Black kids need to know they can succeed academically. 

purely statistically speaking, a black person has a better chance at becoming a physician than a nfl star.  a black person has a better chance at becoming a dentist than a nfl player.  a black person has a better chance at becoming an engineer/an professor than an NBA player.  Sure the salary is a lot lower, but at least a lot more are leading meaningful lives than the ones who dont end up in the pros. 

Now onto exactly why blacks may not be phsyically superior.  Unfortunately this post will not necessarily show the science behind why they may not be physically superior.  the fact is, such science doesnt exist.  thats why I specifically say MAY and not absolutely say they are not superior.  I could be wrong.  But im fairly certain haivng studied genetics for 2 years(research) and neuroscience(my major) that I am not.

I will make an attempt to point out thoughts about why they are faster and then debunk each myth.

MYTH 1. more blacks are in sports than any other race thus it must be because they are more athletic since it is competitive sport.

STATISTICS Do NOT share the WHOLE Picture.

-statistically this is true.  more blacks are in sports than any other race but that does not mean that it is because of their natural gifts.  More blacks are in sports and athletics because more blacks go into sports and spend more time and effort as athletes.  Even though many whites go into sports, playing college basketball(more whites play college basketball than in the NBA) the thing is, many of these whites choose other careers.  many dont necessarily go into sports with the intent of a career in sports.  many whties do not go into sports thinking its the only way to college.  In fact, SAT scorewise, whites do better than blacks, white come from higher income than blacks.  So whats the difference?  White people have better educations in general, they have more emphasis on schoolwork beacuse they come from higher income families. 

 Even whites who play sports generally come from the same income bracket as other whites or if poorer, not as much.  however blacks on the other hand who do get scholarships to play sports specifically are from LOWER INCOME brackets than blacks who dont and the general population as a whole.  Thus blacks have a greater need to suceed in their sports. blacks need to do well in order to succeed in life and see that if they dont succeed in sports they wont have a career-many are not academically prepared through schooling to succeed in alternate careers.  they spend SO MUCH TIME PRACTICING AND PLAYIGN SPORTS that they dont have time to study.  In addition,  their school system is a lot weaker prior to college and less capable of developing their academic potential.

MYTH 2: The Self Perpetuating Myth and the MEDIA; THE AMERICAN DREAM and a little bit of history....

THE MEDIA HAS HYPED IT UP FOR BLACKS

The media has played a big role in the development of the ultra black athelte.  A sort of machismo attitude, that blacks can do it all.  And the MEDIA loves it.  Who doesnt love a down on the luck family that sends its child into sports making him a multimililionaire?  Its the perfect American Dream Story.  

So where did this begin?  Go back 50 years and blacks were not even that big in sports.  sure there were a few, some were amazing, just great.  but in the 50s it was the whites who played. t he white linebackers, the white corners.  even white running backs.  Once college integration took hold and brown v board was struck down many and more blacks joined college. 

Thing was, to get in they had to stand out.  Problem was that blacks went to historically poor schools with less academic devlopment.  their own familes due to Jim Crow Laws.  So many families who were not engineers or physicians etc. knew that to send their kdis to college they needed scholarships for money.  Sports provided the answer.  Many kids began to play, working out struggling to hold jobs and playing the game.  And they succeeded.  Whereas white families would have aspirations for lawyers or doctors or engineers because they ahd the money for education and the better academic upbringing, blacks knew sports was the only ticket out of their current life.  And so the media caught on as well.  proclaiming it as a way to bridge two races together first.  Then, when blacks began to succeed finanically in sports as a way to present the American Dream.  Anyone can do it! Only in AMerica!

So the media has been hyping this up forever, and blacks and whites and asians ahve bought into it.  Thinknig that blacks are born for this.  so let them.  and blacks think, this is my way out of it.  I can succeed.  I can become rich if I play ball!

MYTH 3.  Ok fine, you're saying that blacks and whites are equal and blacks play in this country because of racial divides income gaps and so forth.  how about other countries?

OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES

Why are more black athletes from Africa than say China or India?  all are poor countries wont they want to get out of their misery?

Not so fast there...the cultural issues that take hold play  key role in the success of athletes from these countries.  In africa, the infrastructure for education is almost nonexistent.  Very few schools are even developed enough to be appraised on an international level.  Indeed the best schools are in historically arab or white regions of Africa-that is Egypt and South Africa where blacks are not looked up on as equals even today or are not weatlhy enough to attend these programs.  thus, with the american stereotype in tow, many black athletes see it as an opportunity to succeed in sports.  So many blacks in america are succeeding why cant we?  lets go to the olympics and break world records, the money will come!

How about India and China?  Thing is, in India and CHina there is a far greater preference for educated individuals.  statewide the government has spend billions in each country attempting to create a more competitive workforce through better education.  Africa does not have the money to develop these programs so the influence for a strong education is not as developed as in these countries.  And so nationally, Indi and china promote education above all else.

MYTH 4 but look at blacks, they're just as strong as any i've seen!  Asians tend to be smaller and weaker! 

GENETICALLY AND SCIENTIFICALLY NO REAL VARIATION.  ITS JUST WHAT YOU SEE THAT SEEMS THAT WAY

-Because of chinas recent foray into the olympics as way to assert itself globally it has won almost or more than the white and black athletes in most of the world.  China is only second to the US now!  More chinese won the powerlifitng competition than any other country!  Sure steroids are an issue but its an issue in every country and cant be the overwhelming explanation.  I know the entire team got disqualified in weightlifting but a new team came in, passed the tests and still won.  Who can forget the womens weight lifting in eastern europe and the steroid abuse in the 70s?

Anyway, the point is that we cannot base our inferences on observations alone.  and it is very important to fight stereotypes of any sort.  Even positive stereotypes can have negative consequences.  blacks may become pigeonholed(they already are) and think sports is the only way to succeed.  they may think going to wall street and engineering and medicine is only really for rich black folk or other races.  that somehow sports is only for blacks and blacks for sports.

What we are doing when we say...look so many blacks in sports, faster than me, must therefore be physically more gifted is no different when

600 years ago people though...look, Sun come from East, Go down in West, Must revolve around Earth!

positive things have been happening lately to help them out, more more are entering the technical workforce and Obama is our president!

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