Miami University

Expert on race in athletics to speak

10/15/2002

Jon Entine, an Emmy-winning television producer, reporter and author, will speak on “What Sports Tells us about Race, Biological Differences and Diversity” at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at the Miami University Art Museum.

The journalist stepped into the national spotlight in 1989 when he wrote and produced the NBC documentary “Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction,” selected as best feature film at the International Sports Film Festival. The documentary provided a frank look at racial stereotyping and the impact of genetics in sports.

Entine expanded on this topic in his book, Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We’re Afraid to Talk About It. Gary Sailes, editor of the Journal of the African American Male, calls the book, published in 2000, “compelling, bold, informative and enlightening.”

“Entine drives relentlessly to a politically incorrect conclusion,” said Richard Bernstein of The New York Times.

A Scientific American review noted that few issues are as provocative and as poorly understood as biological differences among the races, adding that Taboo “presents a well-researched, relatively thorough and lucidly written case, arguing that in many sports - particularly basketball, football, and track and field - athletes of African descent show a competitive advantage.”

Entine also writes for such leading publications as the Sunday Times of London, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Globe and Mail and GQ , and writes a syndicated column, The Ethical Edge, for Business Digest.

He won a National Press Club award for an article titled “Shattered Image: Is the Body Shop Too Good To Be True?” which has been praised for its look at the hypocrisy of many companies with a socially responsible reputation.

Entine’s appearance is sponsored the departments of communication and physical education, health and sports studies. The speech is free and open to the public.