The Scarcity of Black Ice Hockey Players in North America
Abstract:
Racism and Segregation in North America has been practiced for many centuries, with those same ideas and beliefs being a part of the sports world as well. With that being said, each professional sport in North America has had a different history that has shaped the culture of each individual sport. Specifically, ice hockey in North America has a long history and its roots have been planted for well over a century. Throughout the timeline of hockey, very few black players have graced the ice with their presence. Willie O’Ree broke the color barrier in hockey in 1958, but in the next sixty years there has yet to be much of an increase in the number of black hockey players. Other major North American sports, such as baseball, football, and basketball, are filled with minority players that hockey has never seemed to have. The purpose of this study is to investigate why there have not been more black athletes that have participated in playing in ice hockey.