Black Athletes in 1980s, 90s Not Outspoken, But Not Silent

Posted February 16, 2018

External Article: ABC News

Johnny Smith, assistant professor in the School of History and Sociology (HSOC) at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the ABC News, February 16, article, “Black Athletes in 1980s, 90s Not Outspoken, But Not Silent.” The School of History and Sociology is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

By the 1980s, America finally publicly embraced the black athlete, looking past skin color to see athleticism and skill, rewarding stars with multimillion-dollar athletic contracts, movie deals, lucrative shoe endorsements and mansions in all-white enclaves. Who didn’t want to be like Mike? But those fortunate black athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods did not, for the most part, use their celebrity to speak out … “It seems to me that we need to rethink how we define ‘activism’ since black athletes certainly were involved in various social causes during that era. Anecdotally, I think about them donating to various scholarship funds and participating in ‘say no to drugs” campaigns,’” said Johnny Smith, who is the Julius C. “Bud” Shaw Professor of Sports, Society, and Technology at Georgia Tech. “That’s certainly a form of activism. However, on the whole, the most prominent black male athletes were not confrontational or outspoken.”

For the full article, visit the ABC News website.