ABSTRACT
The concept of confirmation bias suggests that those who hold to stereotypic conceptions are likely to seek evidence that supports their beliefs. The stereotyping of black students as athletes on predominantly white college campuses occurs with regularity. For non-black individuals who have limited contact with African Americans on a regular basis, it is easy to succumb to prevalent stereotypical notions of black sport superiority. The stereotypical perception of black athletes’ natural athletic superiority provides an apparent haven for black youth in sport. In the same way, the prevailing perception of intellectual inferiority may make schooling and the pursuit of intellectual acuity appear inappropriate or out of reach for many black boys and girls with goals for success. G. Wiggins proposes an earlier and more nuanced beginning to the notion of black physical superiority. Wiggins’ work suggests that blacks were originally thought to be inferior to whites in all aspects including athletic and intellectual domains.
