Possible Solutions for Combating Racism in Sports, Education, and Workplace

Student's Name
Professor's Name
Course
Date
An Issue of Inequality
Racial discrimination remains one of the biggest threats hindering equality globally. Research suggests that racial bias affects the optimum delivery of services in the workplace, leading to loss of revenue and lack of enthusiasm to work in employees ("Racial discrimination," 2019. Arguably, employees who experience racial discrimination are likely to quit jobs leading to loss of revenue for the companies employing them since they have to train new employees to replace them. Besides, racial discrimination can lead to suicide for persons with low self-esteem. Researchers assert that sports, education, and the workplace are the three primary sectors that manifest racial discrimination the most (Neblett & Roberts, 2013). The continuous prevalence of racial discrimination in society forms the basis of writing this paper to explore, list, and find possible solutions to avert racism.
Racial Discrimination in Sports
The sports industry plays a vital role in enhancing and promoting social cohesion and essential values, such as mutual respect, tolerance, and fair play. Despite its importance in society, research suggests that it is a sector likely to promote the rise and spread of racism. One of the recent and best examples demonstrating racial discrimination in the sports field stems from the concluded Euro 2020 hosted in England. After demonstrating brilliance against their opponents, England secured its slot at the finals to face Italy. Both teams did not score the winning goal within the provided ninety minutes, and the only way to determine the match was through a penalty shoot-out. The Italian team favored the penalty shoot-out after three English players of African descent missed their shots. The three young players, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka, became the subject of racial abuse after supporters of the English team posted on their social media platforms their disgust with the trio. Some of the supporters sent the emoji of a black monkey to the players because they saw other people doing the same.
According to soccer pundits, it is evident that the trio would be targets of racial discrimination for missing their shots, making it essential to address the situation. Over the last four decades, racism in European Sports has increased, especially when black players are spotlighted during major international competitions. A tweet responding to the harassment captures this phenomenon; "When you score, you're English. When you miss, you're an immigrant." The message derived from the tweet demonstrates that football supporters are quick to judge and hurl insults to other players of black descent whenever they make mistakes but would never congratulate or praise them if they scored the winning goal. Besides the three players mentioned above, Kylian Mpappe, who plays for the French national soccer team, experienced online racial abuse after Swiss goalkeeper Somer successfully blocked the striker's penalty shot. Arguably, racial abuse in the sporting arena is likely to resurface if supporters do not change their mentality and understand that everyone is equal despite their color.
The massive increase of visibility and popularity of sports over the last three decades because of television, radio, and the internet is another facet that intensifies the inequality experienced in the sporting field. Research suggests that the presence of these devices continues to strengthen the way football fanatics relate to players. Because of the internet, fans can interact with players by commenting on their social pages, granting them the freedom to do what they please. In major athletic competitions, such as the Olympics, the world perceives athletes as the face of the countries they represent. Therefore, most supporters pin patriotic hopes, fears, and frustrations on them, leading to racial abuse if the results do not meet their expectations. Research suggests that the inequality experienced in the sports sector is detrimental since it leads to low self-esteem for the players and social ridicule for the players' families. The constant occurrence of racial abuse in a field meant to promote social cohesion is alarming, thus creating the need to formulate strategies that can reduce and stave off such issues in the future.
Racial Discrimination at the Education Sector
Racial segregation in the education sector dates back to the early 1940s. Research suggests that the inequality witnessed in the education sector over the last five decades is the primary reason leading to income inequalities globally today. During the early 1940s, children from African neighborhoods did not have a chance to attend school with their white counterparts. For that reason, only children of white families had the opportunity to access better schools, thus widening the poverty gap and manifesting racial discrimination in society. In addition, due to their exposure and good education, companies hired children from white families over their black counterparts. Research suggests that such vices still occur despite the 1954 ruling of the Brown vs. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 at the Supreme Court that barred schools' segregation (Welch, 2015). For example, Saama Sane, a student at the Greenough School between 2013 and June 2019, claimed that when he was in junior school, a white student repeatedly called him the 'N’-word each time he sat at a table in the library. In response, Sane would hurl insults back and at one time ended up on the floor in a headlock, surrounded by five other white students who were laughing at him as they watched. The altercation between the Sane and the white student made him stressed, which subsequently led to depression. During a recent interview, Sane confided that he felt suffocated at the school and stopped loving himself because the community did not accept him because of his color. Arguably, Sane's case demonstrates the plight black children endure when studying in white-dominated institutions today. Although most schools continuously pledge their support to end racial discrimination, researchers assert that the damage caused by racial prejudice is detrimental and irreversible.
Racial discrimination in schools adversely influences learners and ruins the working environment. Studies illustrate that racism creates tensions and distorts cultural understanding, making it challenging to interact freely. Statistics collected from the U.S. Government Accountability Office Report on Discipline Disparities show that black children are disproportionately sent away from schools in the country. Such suspensions are likely to lead to negative stereotyping against students, making teachers more likely to punish them for minor, non-violent offenses. The media is another feature that intensifies negative stereotypes about black and white students. There are often images and video clips portraying young black adolescents as aggressive. The stereotyping of black people as violence escalates the debate on racism in society. For instance, during protests, newspaper publishing companies pin images of black people on the front page, affecting black children's sociological and psychological growth. Psychologists aver that the continuous use of photos showing black people doing the wrong thing is likely to lead to early school dropout and teenage pregnancies among teenagers. Studies illustrate that most black children who grow up watching clips that tend to stereotype them are likely to engage in criminal activities and consequently drop out of school. School funding is another aspect that demonstrates racism in the education sector. The state and local governments have the primary task of funding schools. However, there are cases where schools in low-income areas did not receive adequate funding compared to those located i...