Sport in African American Culture is highly significant. The significance is clearly revealed in the movie "Hoop Dreams". The movie follows two young African American boys aspiring to go professional in the realm of basketball. These boys came from what the world sees as basically nothing and got scholarships to a high school for basketball. Although these boys knew there was a 0.0005% chance of actually going pro, they still fought hard to achieve their dreams. It's part of African American culture to work so hard so to be able to look back and see where it all started and look forward to the success.
Hollywoods portrayal of African American athletes is very different from what is seen in this documentary. For example, in the movie "Space Jam", Michael Jordan is seen as a very rich, successful athlete. He's got a big house, a personal assistant, a family, children, and a dog. It's the American dream, and an African American athlete is the one who is owning that dream. This movie shows nothing about his journey to get where he is, only emphasizes his successes. "Hoop Dreams" reveals real life struggles and longings to get to a desired position. It reveals the racism and harsh economic struggles of families.
url--photo of "Space Jam"
Sport could be seen as damaging the Black American and preserving the myth of race, but then again, so could anything else. Nothing really has meaning unless it is given meaning. This is a mindset for some Americans in the US today, it's up to you to not give it that meaning. Sport offers amazing opportunities to all races, not just to African Americans and not just professional athletes.
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