▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁prove ▁the ▁human ity , ▁equality , ▁and ▁even ▁occasionally ▁their ▁superior ity ▁on ▁the ▁playing ▁field . ▁By ▁doing ▁so , ▁groups ▁of ▁minor ities ▁hoped ▁that ▁sports ▁would ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁for ▁ra cial ▁pride ▁that ▁would ▁eventually ▁lead ▁to ▁up ward ▁social ▁mob ility . ▁However , ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁criticism ▁has ▁been ▁lev ied ▁against ▁these ▁ideas . ▁Sports ▁soci ologist ▁Harry ▁Edwards ▁open ly ▁critic ized ▁African ▁Americans ▁as ▁being ▁“ co - con sp ir ators ” ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁children ' s ▁explo itation ▁by ▁the ▁white ▁domin ated ▁sports ▁establishment . ▁Despite ▁the ▁per ception ▁of ▁a ▁white ▁domin ated ▁sports ▁establishment , ▁research ▁has ▁shown ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁greater ▁emphas is ▁on ▁sports ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁career ▁path ▁in ▁the ▁African ▁American ▁community ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁community . ▁Edwards ▁continued ▁by ▁arg uing ▁that ▁placing ▁so ▁much ▁emphas is ▁on ▁sports ▁achiev ement ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁for ▁minor ity ▁groups , ▁specifically ▁referring ▁to ▁African ▁Americans , ▁to ▁achieve ▁some ▁level ▁of ▁prom in ence ▁is ▁de - emph as izing ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁intellectual ▁purs uits . ▁Despite ▁the ▁conflic ting ▁per ception s ▁of ▁sports ▁as ▁a ▁harm on izing ▁instrument , ▁many ▁research ers ▁still ▁believe ▁that ▁not ▁much ▁has ▁changed ▁to ▁alle vi ate ▁the ▁ra cially ▁t ense ▁landscape ▁many ▁believe ▁to ▁be ▁inher ent ▁in ▁current ▁day ▁society . ▁ ▁Ra cial ▁activ ism ▁in ▁American ▁professional