Just kidding, February is actually National Black History Month, celebrated in the US and Canada. The tradition began way back in 1926 with the formation of "Black History Week" by a group that was called The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and its co-founder, historian Carter G. Woodson. The second week in February was chosen to coincide with, and celebrate the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. One, freed the slaves, the other, a former slave that worked tirelessly for the abolition of slavery. In 1976, to bolster the USA's bicentennial, Black History Week was expanded to Black History Month, during the Gerald Ford presidency. I've often wondered why it is we need a national observance for a particular race of people, and therefore the underlying reason for the title of this blog edition. And when did it happen that Negroes became Colored, then African-Americans that are now just Black? Even famous Negro-Colored-Afro-Black person, Morgan Freeman, has decried, "I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history." I agree. The continuing commercialization of holidays, remembrances, birthdays, benchmarks, happenings and history plays into the capitalistic marketing opportunities of American consumerism more than it does to further education.
I do rather understand that this Month of Colored History is an opportunity to promote famous persons of black descent (not always through Africa, I might add), and their impact on American business, sport and entertainment. I didn't mention politics, because I can't think of any one colored person who's become famous or has positively contributed to American History. Oh, except for that one guy from Chicago by way of Kenya and Hawaii, allegedly.
I watched a two-part special about the history of blacks and the National Football League. The NFL was preceded by a group of professional football teams when the American Professional Football Association was formed in 1920. It was reorganized as the National Football League in 1922. The original idea for professional football, in large part, is credited to famous Native American athlete, Jim Thorpe, who had attempted to capitalize on his fame as a college and Olympic athlete to organize play-for-pay standards in American sport. He was actually elected and served as the president of the APFA for a time, though the league did not enjoy much success nor continuity until 1922, when it was restructured and named the National Football League. From 1920 through 1926 a total of nine black men suited up for games, and there were still five who played in the 1926 season, while never more than two or three black players were involved at any given time. In 1934, due to the influence of George Preston Marshall ("We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites"), owner of the Washington Redskins (how ironic), refused to employ black players and pressed other owners to do the same. The time frame also coincided with the Great Depression, so the idea that a black player might be considered to be 'working' in place of a qualified white player, also led to the practice of segregation in the NFL. The ban on black players was held in effect until after World War II. Marshall was forced to integrate the Redskins by John F. Kennedy, The Washington Post and the Federal Government in a prelude to the official Civil Rights Act of 1964. Wide receiver Bobby Mitchell was the first African-American player to suit up in a Redskin uniform, in the 1962 season, and proceeded to lead the league with 11 touchdowns, 72 catches and 1,384 yards.
The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to move to Los Angeles following the 1945 season, and the plan was to use the LA Coliseum as their home. The LA Stadium Commission reminded the Rams' owners that, because the stadium was supported by public funds, they could not field a segregated team.
Kenny Washington was one of four African-American football players on the 1939 UCLA Bruins team, along with Woody Strode, Ray Bartlett and a fellow by the name of Jackie Robinson. Washington led the country in numerous offensive categories, including 1,914 rushing yards, a school record that stood for 34 years. After graduation, Chicago Bears owner, George "Papa Bear" Halas, attempted to sign Washington, but was blocked by the other NFL owners. Washington played for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League until 1945, when he and Strode were signed by the LA Rams so that the franchise could conform to the integration requirement dictated by the Coliseum Stadium Commission. His NFL career only lasted three years, but his impact was instrumental and lasting. It's interesting to note that Kenny Washington in 1946 broke the color barrier in the NFL before his former teammate, Jackie Robinson, did the same for Major League Baseball in 1947.
Nowadays, especially at the running back position, a white football player is a rarity. As recently as 2005, not one single carry was registered by a starting white running back, and in 2010, Peyton Hillis was the only white starter at RB in the NFL. There were no Caucasian 1,000-yard-RBs in the league between Craig James in 1985 and Hillis in 2010. It is estimated that fully 65% or more of all NFL players are African-American, while the US population is closer to 35% non-white.
In Major League Baseball, the racial roster makeup is thus, in 2010: White 58%, Latino 29%, African-American 11% and Asian 2%. In the National Basketball Association, fully 75% of the players are black. There are a slew of socio-economic factors involved in the racial makeup of professional sports in this country. I cannot begin to explain them all here. But, it's clear that Afro-American influence in sports has grown exponentially since the 1920's when Negro-Black-Afro History was targeted for emphasis and recognition. Now that the thresholds of firsts: black coaches, black general managers and managers and black owners in sports have been crossed, maybe we shall all eventually take Black History for granted. At least in the sports world. Or probably not.
Black History Month. What a concept. I think, that after all this research, and digesting all the facts, it becomes even clearer why I like baseball the best. I mentioned a few blogs ago that when I compare baseball to football, I liken the corollary to baseball-is-chess, and football-is-checkers. If that is my premise, then basketball must be CandyLand. Call me a racist, but I'm not a bigot. I am prejudiced against all knuckle-heads, and most politicians. I think we should push for a National Politicians Are Fucking Us Month to bring awareness to, you know, the actual driving force in why it's so goddamn hot in here, and what the hell is a handbasket?
No comments:
Post a Comment