March 3, 1999

Contact: Timothy McKernan, (619) 594-2588; mckernan@mail.sdsu.edu

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

Noted African-American scholar to explore"The End of the Golden Age of the Black Athlete

WHAT: "The End of the Golden Age of the Black Athlete, lecture by Harry Edwards, renowned sports sociologist, author of "The Revolt of the Black Athlete and "The Sociology of Sport and consultant to the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors.

WHEN AND WHERE: 7 p.m., March 4, at SDSU,s Aztec Center. The lecture is free, and free parking is available in the lots east of College Avenue. For more information, call 594-5449.

BACKGROUND: In an era of multi-million dollar contracts, Harry Edwards breaks with conventional wisdom with his opinion that the golden age of the black athlete is over and the passing of that era has implications for the entire African-American community.

"There is a minefield of cultural, economic and regulatory factors that make it increasingly more difficult for the black athlete to succeed, and the black athlete is a canary in the mineshaft for society at large, he says. "It,s not too late to reverse the trends that are having a negative impact on the African-American community, but we need to acknowledge and address them immediately.

Dr. Edwards will be available for interviews before his presentation.