- Define the significance of sport in the African American culture.
Sport is a very significant part of the African American culture. For the most part regardless of the socioeconomic setting, sports such as basketball and football that are relatively inexpensive and bring African Americans together. In all of the movies listed as well, a form of brotherhood is fostered from playing basketball with one another
- Compare and contrast the Hollywood portrayal of the African American athlete with that in the Hoop Dreams documentary. Include a picture from the Hollywood film you are comparing.
With the movie Blind Side, the moral of the story is that a white family takes in Michael Ohr and he eventually becomes a successful football player at the high school, college, and professional level. If he weren't able to get the support and opportunities he received from the family that took him in, it would be impossible for him to have made it. In the same way, William was also given an opportunity by a white family to help pay for his education at St. Joseph's but the main difference was that it didn't work out picture perfect for William and Arthur as it did for for Michael. Michael's was a rare story that ended up to work out, but it doesn't always work out perfectly.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfHkMskdEBk4GctALrNXfi0jMdOfMlfcF98-zZJF6COFkyb0LuN3kUt8uL1qX8I7C4_E6H-VzGylSBr2NuAzCN0E6BMOLAZPYMEM06GZu6f9Vp-H3Fjl8AbGyH1UOmG2YA8DkBTDH3yKX/s1600/theblindside.jpg
- Is sport damaging Black American and preserving the myth of race?
In some ways, the physicality and violence associated with sport can potentially damage the ideal of the Black American (making them seem more violent) but for the most part, I think it does more good than harm.
