Dear India, Only the morally corrupt use sports to unite people.
The fact that in the last 100 years or so, sports have been a mediator for local and global conflict is insulting. It’s insulting to the human intellect and dampers human evolution. The ability to entertain and improvise with various hand-eye coordination movements shouldn’t delay immoral oppression. Just because the athletes impress oppressors doesn’t lessen oppression, even in the moment of the sporting event. Unfortunately, this is still an issue today, in India, as the Siddi peoples are making progress because of their athletic ability.
After nearly a century, even on the other side of the world, black people are still using sports to gain rights.
I know what you’re thinking, sports is harmless(it kinda isn’t). It gives an outlet for kids in troubled neighborhoods, provides mentorship for at risk kids. It keeps them engaged in class, builds confidence and keeps them healthy. While these are all true, there is still a major problem. Those who love professional sports turn a blind to sports being used as progression against those being discriminated against. This is a by product of a severe oppression and uses entertainment to distract those engage from the pain and reality of systematic oppression.
We’re taught to look at dictators putting their oppression on hold for sports entertainment as a great thing. When Germany hosted the Olympics and Hitler was in awe at the speed of Jesse Owens. Hitler would go on to become hitler, no explanation needed there. But you have the Joe Louis, Jack Johnsons, Jackie Robinsons, and other athletes that entertained whites with athleticism. On the surface it looks like it benefits everyone, whites are entertained, white owners make money and black people who are oppressed can live through “successful athletes who defeat their white counterparts. However the underlying issue is never mentioned.
During segregation playing a professional sports gives the illusion of an advancement. Black players were allowed to compete and earn an income with white folks. Their white coaches tolerated them and eventually saw them as equals. Not because of their talent but through seeing them enough and realizing they weren’t the savages they were portrayed to be. While it sounds harsh, coaches and owners favored their black players like slave masters favored their productive slaves.
Today the NBA uses the past of racism on MLK day for marketing revenue. This is a financially successful attempt to get their black audiences engaged on a day that was meant to remember MLK. Instead were supposed to watch basketball, i’m sure this is(not) what MLK would have wanted.
Mixtures of “races” playing a sport together isn’t indicative of progress. In fact a poll revealed that most people felt not much has changed since the civil rights movement. The distraction is real.
Bantu’s from sub-Saharan Africa, Siddi people have lived in India for centuries. After fleeing to the jungles from british colonization in India. The Siddi’s dealt with oppression from Indians, in India. They’ve been discriminated against and segregated from opportunities throughout the country. Not to be confused with the “untouchable” the dark-skinned cast of Indians who can’t even physically touch members of higher castes. The siddis are African while the untouchables are dark-skinned Indians. After centuries of stagnation, the Siddi people are finally advancing, at least in the sports world. Some are training to advance to compete to represent India in the Olympics.
When we use sports as a funnel to accept a small group of discriminated peoples, it’s not real progress. Suspending our prejudice or racism for the length of a sporting event is delusional progress. Furthermore unless the group being discriminated against is playing for the home team don’t expect support. Sports are public and often televised events, it would be impossible to hurt someone and get away with it. But what about the Siddi people who aren’t as athletically gifted?
This reinforces the stereotype that black people are only great at sports. Black inventors, businessmen, doctors require schooling and money. However if people are systematically oppressed then there’s less opportunities for education. Therefore the very fact that sports is the only outlet also exposes how there are literally no other options. Sports may be cheaper and requires less educational standards to participate in but that’s no excuse. The fact that sports is the first measuring stick to progress exposes our low standards as “humans”.
In conclusion, the foundation and intention for change are just as important as the change itself. A bill signed by Congress is more than a signature. A vote at the polls is more than filling in the bubble. And during and after the sporting events, the athletes are still human beings. Using sports as the catalyst for change is offensive and cowardly in terms of alleviating oppression. At least in terms of Governments and politicians being stagnant. It’s cheap, stingy, and frugal, and it continues to discriminate against those who aren’t athletic or wish to use their gifts for other talents. Yes, even in terms of social “progress” there are no STILL no winners in sports..