African-American sports writers! Dissertation help needed!

^Damn. If I had of known about it, I would have. Seriously.

Interesting conversation. I'm a African-American. I really want to get into sports just as bad as a lot of other people, but I realize that it's hard as hell to get into sports. Sorry for the self-promotion, but I'm just saying that you got to know people, no matter what race you are.

 

That is true but if you really want to get into sports, I suggest talking with the SE, ME and EE at your paper. You will start out on preps but if you are good, you'll learn the craft and move on. Many people get into sports from other areas of the paper. Don't let that stop you.

 

^All right. Will do.

 

Bump, for my boy Wasson.

Hey, when are you going to have a survey for Polynesian sports writers? Samoans are good enough to play football, but not write about it?

As Hollis would say ...

 

Slappy, aboard which slave ship did your forefathers cross the Atlantic?

 

None. But I've also had a sports editor tell me point blank 17 years ago that the reason I didn't get a job was because of the color of my skin. Is that not discrimination?
I also said I'm not going to delve into this topic again. I disagreed with the way she presented her case; she disagreed with mine. It's done.

 

Maybe it was discrimination.

Or maybe, a sports editor was trying to shift responsibility and not being straight with you about why a decision was made. I have had supervisors try to pull that nonsense on me, but I knew better than to believe him.

 

No. It wasn't a shift in responsibility. You don't use that as a reason because that is grounds for a lawsuit. Also, he told people within the department the reason as well.

 

Re: As a young African_american

this worries me about my future. in a business that was been about the work you produce, color is playing a big part. i'm still in college and plan to graduate soon, what do you guys feel are my chances of finding a job writing sports? i mean this is my passion. it's not work to me, and to kinda have my bubble busted is not a great feeling. should i find another profession?

 

I would think the economics and question about newspapers would be a bigger worry. It's also always going to be competitive because people like the idea of being sportswriters. What isn't so great is getting stuck with little opportunity.

 

When the economics of the business go down, the racism factor will loom larger. When people of color, who can do the job, take a job, there will always be some joker saying they got it because of "affirmative action." That's not right.

 

I don't know if that's true. There are a great many black reporters whose talents are too good to be ever accused of this and there are those who still have their jobs because of their color.

But you bring up an interesting point. When the Philly Inquirer cut a bunch of jobs of late, did the NCAAP help or hurt their cause and put a stigma on the remaining black reporters when they petitioned the newspaper not to cut a "disproportionate" number of black jobs? Aldridge was one of those who soon returned, though personally I feel he belongs in the too good to accuse of benefitting from affirmative action.