They found that a biological basis of race was a common theme in describing sporting success. In comparing references to success by Black and White athletes, they found that innate physical ability was typical in descriptions of Black athletes and intellectual prowess or industriousness was the most frequently referenced criterion for success in Whites. The fixation on individual genes in the analysis of athletic success says inherent biology, not effort, is the mediator of success. Our cultural biases clearly say “Black brawn and White brains.”
