Black American Women?

I concur, without trying to sound like Al Campanis or

Jimmy the Greek. The slave trade centered on West Africa,

not The Sarangetti Plain. They sought large strong muscular

people, people who could do the manual labor, and who could

survive the voyage. The gene pool is from that group of

survivors, and it will take generations to alter, no

different than the alteration that would have to occur

for Kenya to have a world record 4x100 meter team

That is the biggest cock of nonsense that I have ever heard! The continent of Africa is not composed of only

dark skinned people: Morocco, Algeria, S. Africa etc

have great distance runners also and live in different

altitudes, environments, cultures etc. The countries of

Japan, Spain, Italy, Portugal put out a great number of elite distance runners per captia and is not in no manner

related to african athletes.

The ds-man had some validity to his statements; however, the amount of individuals introduced to a single type of event or events will determine the degree of success! The more african-americans introduced to distance running will

results in more elite african-americans distance runners, the more americans introduced to distance running will results in more elite american distance runners etc.

So your premise is the talent is there but unidentified

because of lack of exposure to long distance events or

training for longer distances?

Without calling u names how rediculous can u get. All this talk about genetics is completely ignoring the fact that AFrican AMericans are extremely mixed, which explains the variety of skin textures. AFrican AMericans are also not moving away from distance races because they dont have the mental capacity to focus that is the most ignorant thing i've ever heard. SEcondly you dont know shit about our gene pool. The kenyans wont be working too hard on the 4 by 1 record because kenyan kids growing up are looking at " millionaries" that are distance runners and they have that tradition. STop looking for excuses and go run.

One of the reasons I brought this question up is that I was surfing fast-women.com and noticed that there just is not one female distance runner of color in the athlete profiles/interviews. Is distance running (1500m and up) primarily a white sport in the US? I noticed that there just isn't too much racial diversity in the NCAA as well.

This is just an observation - not trying to bring out a race card or trying to be political by any means.

oh i understand ur point but look at ML baseball, it's predominately hispanic does that mean that hispanics are prone to play baseball. Hockey is also a predominatley white sport but does that mean thatAFrican Americans dont have the capacity for it. Remember the question about mental capacity was also used as to why African AMericans couldnt play quarterback in football and we see how that's worked out.

just curious, do u guys consider Regina Jacobs as mixed or AFrican AMericnas, what about senaca and others?

I am a african american and I took up distance running 20 years ago.

The reason why most young african americans do not play soccer, or hockey, or even become middle distance runners is because most of our sports heros were football players, backetball players, some baseball players, and sprinters.

Those are the sports you play, watch and see as a african american youth growing up over the last 30 years on your local playgrounds, parks, neighborhoods, etc.

I took up middle distance running because I figured that since I was a naturely fast runner (sprint races in the Hood, basketball, football, etc) and my mother was giving me a hard time about football that maybe cross country would be great.

I loved it and then tried track. It was natural for me. I didn't really train but I ran 4:59 for the mile that year.

I didn't RUN AT ALL DURING THE summer and still ran around 16:30-16:45 for cross country and on 25-30 miles per week ran 4:33 and 1:59 for the mile and 800 my soph year.

What I am getting at is that we (african americans) do have the mental toughness to be very "GOOD MIDDLE DISTANCE/DISTANCE RUNNERS" if we chose to, but in your youth you are exposed to your sports role models (many from you neighborhoods) doing very well in the other sports and making alot of money, fame, etc.

PS. When it can to Track & Field we were not seeing alot of Americans on t.v during the various Oly games winning anything (other then Bruce Jenner) but we were seeing alot of African American Males/Females win Gold in the Sprints and Jumping events. Those moments leave a lasting footprint!

Just my viewpoint as a african american runner and former middle distance runner.

Just in case you missed it the 1st time around :)

http://www.geocities.com/irhee/oprah.html

In your last sentences, you said not many Americans won, but that a lot of African Americans did. Were these athletes competing for the United States of Africa America?

How long is it going to be until African Americans will drop the African part?

I never understood that.

It is correct that the point concerning mental capacity was wrong. I didn't mean it that way. I guess a better analogy would be an intelligent person who doesn't study and gets mediocre grades. They have the mental capacity to do much better but something gets in the way.

Mental toughness differs in people in various degrees in all races. There are certainly are large percentage of athletes with the required mental toughness to excell in middle distances among African-Americans. The 400 in my opinion is one of the toughest, most painful events in track. The biggest reason for the absence of black distance runners is simply participation rates are low. And yes, there aren't a lot of role models.

But there are many that excell early and have great talent. But not many stick with it over the long haul and put in the years of consistent hard training year round.

Just out of curiousity WDOWTIN if you had the obvious talent that you did, what prevented you from running a step over the offseason?

Playing summer basketball, and working.

Perhaps that brings up another point. If you believe that the overall athleticism rates are higher among African-Americans than it could be likely that there are more athletic options to excell in your typical African-American. Most distance runners who settle on that as the sport they choose to focus on make it an easy choice because they do much better in that sport compared to others.

(I know there are a ton of other white swimmers, tennis players and basketball players who also ran, I'm speaking of large percentages).

I bet there a scores of distance running talent in this country among smaller black basketball players.

Not to mention that basketball is just plain more fun than running. I knew of a 4:15 sophomore miler who chose not to completely focus on running(his better sport) and played basketball even though he didn't start for his high school team. I don't think he ever improved as a runner but he did receive a college scholarship.

COOP's Post

In your last sentences, you said not many Americans won, but that a lot of African Americans did. Were these athletes competing for the United States of Africa America?

How long is it going to be until African Americans will drop the African part?

I never understood that.

WDOWTIN

I was first stating that I was an African American so that the forum would know that my posting was coming from a American of African descent. Secondly don't question my patriotism. I served 8 years in the Army, I won't question yours if you don't question mine.

Please do not get me started on a history lesson here!

Also tell that line about dropping the African from Americans to Employers, US Census Bureau, Armed Forces, Gov. Agencies, Banks, etc. who ask about your ethnic origin including yours.

You just don't get it do you.

Finally this forum is about Black Women. So I believe when a Black Women or Minority post on this forum it would be great for them to state that so that others could understand that the viewpoint was coming from a Black Woman or Minority.

PS

COOP's reply to WDOWTIN

COOP's Post

In your last sentences, you said not many Americans won, but that a lot of African Americans did. Were these athletes competing for the United States of Africa America?

WDOWTIN REPLY

Maybe I should have stated "not many other Americans won" but I was just trying to make a point.

I am proud to be an American. (See previous post about being Army Veteran).

I believe other minorities are are also proud to be Americans.

I believe once America becomes a "Color Blind" country then the labels will drop.

But there are Black radical groups, KKK, skinheads, Islamic movements that will fight to stop that.

I remember when we were deployed to the Middle Ease (GULF WAR) and CNN was showing the KKK marching in downtown DC!

That made me sick on my stomach (KKK's past history with BLACKS) or when I hear about this sniper (I am from VIRGINIA/MD Area) who probably for reasons dealing with religion (Islam) kill innocent Americans/people or 9-11 (World Trade Center) it all makes me sick! But this is the World that we live in.

Hopefully one day the labels and names will be dropped.

I apologize for this non running post but I just wanted to add a addendum to my previous posting.

May GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!

From a Citizen -- American

From a Veteran

From a Runner

I know were getting a little off topic here but the problem of racism is not that people want to keep their ethnicity the problem is when people dont respect each other. MY girlfirend is Asian and is extremely proud of her roots, I am AFrican AMerican and am extremely proud of her roots. WE contstant expose each other to both our cultures and our relationship has benifited from it. The solution isnt in becoming one because we are a product of where we came from, the solution is just respecting and getting to know each other. IT can be beautiful.

I had nothing to do with being born asian so I don't know how I can be proud of being asian. I didn't accomplish anything.

Can I go here? I want to suggest that the current genetic make-up of African Americans is based on their genetic demand when the world was racist. EG; Strong. Not weak like distance runners ... they didn't need foot messengers before the civil war.

Trying to Tread respectively here.

The lean were less desirable and left in africa? (market average)

300kicks

I apologize for taking so long to respond to your question,

as I do not spend ALOT of time on the internet anymore.

The logic behind my premise is as you stated, "the more

individuals that would train/compete in middle and distance

events the better quality of runners would emerge (regardless of race).

The statement I am making is not to discount the nature/nurture debate completely; however, I feel the lack

of a great number of young individuals being introduced to

middle/distance running is the PRIMARY reason for small number of african-american and americans at elite levels.