ABSTRACT
Scholarly works, novels, news broadcasts, and movies all suggest that black Americans still struggle for recognition and equality in the 1990s. A black child in the public schools today is less likely to attend college, make a reasonable salary, reside in decent housing and live a long, healthy life than are her or his white schoolmates. Black athletes today still experience racial discrimination, and one type of this discrimination comes in the form of advertising themes and images. Some sporting executives claim that black athletes experience significant upward mobility because of their participation in athletics. While it is true that athletes today often make a good deal of money, it is not true that their prestige or occupational level increases along with their salaries. More blacks are entering these professional sports than in previous years, but there is evidence that entrance for blacks into high-level leadership positions is still largely blocked.
