Of Dreams, Realized and Deferred

In light of my post yesterday about Tiger Woods, it might be worth re-casting the discussion on race and sports somewhat. Today is, after all, Martin Luther King Day. So, even if Woods doesn't want to talk about race, a lot of other involved in sports do. It's worth taking a look, then, at ESPN's special web contribution, "Realizing the Dream."

First, a disclaimer: ESPN over-emphasizes the extent to which the "dream" has been "realized." Indeed, this is entirely consistent with the standard stories about racial "progress": Jackie Robinson "broke the color line" in 1947; Texas Western was the first college basketball team to start an all-Black line-up en route to a national championship over all-White Kentucky; Tiger Woods (oops, sorry Tiger) redefines racial identity in a painfully homogeneous sport. Let me be clear that I am not dismissing the significance of these--or other--important moments. Rather, it is the framing of these stories that merits our rhetorical focus. In other words, every time we declare that the dream has been "realized," it is easier to forget that so many other dreams continue to be deferred (and to feel a lot better about it).

So please, read ESPN's stories, honor the memory of MLK, and celebrate the progress we've made. But also, let's remember that there is much to be done if we are to achieve any semblance of the many dreams woven by King.