“New” News, Hegemony and Representations of Black Male Athletes

Racist ideology served to justify domestic repression, domination, and enslavement of African Americans for more than 250 years and legalized segregation for an additional 100 years. As such, it must be acknowledged that some of the remnants from that legacy remain a part of the collective conscious and continue to influence the cultural landscape. In essence, although segregation is no longer the law of the land and overt racist policies have for the most part diminished, “the culture still accepts or promotes voluntary behavior such as living in racially segregated communities and marrying within color lines, rejuvenating the artificial distinction of race, which continues to impose burdens on both groups” according to Entman and Rojecki (2000, p. 206). In short, racist ideology continues to prevail in American society.