The Pathology of the ‘Neo-Peculiar Institution:’ Sport, Race and the ‘New Normal’ - Higher Education: There were a number of things that went through my head as I listened to the taped conversation NBA owner Donald Sterling had with his girlfriend (mistress in some writings). I had also just listened to the Supreme Court affirmative action deliberations on a mildly conservative news show and juxtaposed the racially charged conversation with the ruling, the racial and current context, and with thoughts and questions about the pathology of race.
The owner’s conversation speaks to the very real manner in which certain folks of color, in this case Black, are excluded from the structure and administration of large organizations — including sports. The discussion reeked of institutionalized racism in its most rudimentary form. The owner speaks from authority when he states that the current culture of the world acts exclusively — and that is normal. There is no right or wrong, this is the way the world acts. That is not racism.
