Teammates On and Off the Field?: Interracial Contact and the Racial Attitudes of White Intercollegiate Student-Athletes

Kendrick Brown, Macalester College
Tony N. Brown
James S. Jackson
Robert M. Sellers
Warde J. Manuel

Abstract

The intergroup contact hypothesis holds that proximate, cooperative interactions on an equalized basis between Blacks and Whites can minimize Whites' prejudice (Allport, 1954). This experiment investigated the effect of contact between White and Black high school teammates on White student athletes' racial attitudes. Using the 1996 Social and Group Experiences (SAGE) survey (created by the authors and administered in the Fall of 1996) commissioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the results indicated a significant relationship between amount of contact with Black teammates in high school and racial policy support and affect, depending on the type of sport played. White student athletes playing team sports who had higher percentages of Blacks as high school team-mates expressed more policy support for and greater positive affect toward Blacks as a group than did their counterparts playing individual sports. The role of athletic experiences in changing racial attitudes is discussed.