Richard E. Lapchick

Richard E. Lapchick is the founder and director of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society (CSSS) and the author of Smashing Barriers: Race and Sport in the New Millennium, from which the following article is excerpted. In it, Lapchick discusses the CSSS's 2001 Racial and Gender Report Card. According to the report card, the proportion of blacks playing in the major pro sports leagues has decreased, while the proportion of Latinos and other minorities has increased. However, women and minorities are still underrepresented in management positions. Lapchick also discusses a number of specific diversity issues in sports, including the controversy over Native American team names, the success of Tiger Woods and Venus and Serena Williams, and the growing acceptance of black quarterbacks in the NFL.