Watching this video several times, I am amazed on how every time I do watch it I am always shocked and thrown back on how this video is actually true and it really happened. To put black kids in front of a black doll and a white doll, they would choose to play with the white doll because the white doll is nice and easy to get along with, while the black doll is not nice and you cant get along with, the black doll causes trouble and can get anyone else in trouble. The white doll looks better and acts better, they are prettier. While the black doll is not good looking and very dirty and doesn’t act like a normal person. To me this is very disturbing that kids grow up thinking and acting like this. To be put in this situation growing up, I wouldn’t know how to react, to be told or taught or how to think and act as a child and put under the assumption that blacks are bad and whites are good is just indescribable. We are all different, there are plenty of bad white people and plenty of good black people. Just because people put the stereotype on blacks being bad doesn’t mean its true. So why should these kids grow up thinking the same thing? If we want to change our society and make it more neutral for our kids and young ones who are growing up then we need to take action. The action can be small by telling our kids that picking friends based on color or ethnicity is wrong, choose your friends for the ones you want to be with because you enjoy their similar interests. Don’t choose sides in fights because one is black and other is not or vice versa. Obviously, changing people and their attitudes or this situation is not a over night process. It will take a lot more than just talking to your loved ones. But if enough of us talk to our kids at a young age and get them on the right track of life, you have no idea where the affirmative action can lead to. This something that we as society can look forward to in time especially in the future as we push along for equality in all people. After all, it only takes one person to start a revolutionary movement, one small step at a time.

The only amazing part of this story to me is that this has not happened sooner. Sure, we see women athletes and have women coaches in women's sports but coaching a men's team. I believe this is something that has been over due for years just because of all the progress we have made to equalize women not only in the professional work field but on the athletic work field as well. When Title IX was passed in 1972 it was made by law to not single out any potential athlete regardless of sex. By passing Title IX it allowed for the creation and involvement of female sports in our country.

What I find truly interesting is that through all these years in male sports, there are only male head coaches, and male assistant coaches. In women sports, there are women coaches but also and still majority, there are men coaches too. Does this seem fair to you? I don’t think it is right to have such a imbalance of power between men and women. In college, why don’t athletic directors hire more female coaches? They are just as qualified if not more than men. I still believe there is a problem of power in the minds of AD’s and other athletic department figureheads because clearly we are not setting in to the right direction.

Going back to the original point, I am happy to see Natalie received the job of coaching the sport she has such a deep passion for. During the interview, you can see pictures of Natalie playing football being a wide receiver, catching the ball in the dirt, “being one of the guys”, except she isn’t a guy. Just because she is a woman, does that mean she should be deprived of a job that she is clearly qualified for? I think not.

If you notice how the reporter took the interview in the direction she thought would grab the attention of viewers, not if she knew how to be successful or what the game plan is to make sure the team wins, but how the reaction was of her being coach, what the community feedback is in response to her being named head coach and if she had to or will have to deal with negative commentary from people about being a women coach. Isn’t it bad enough she has to worry about being a black coach let alone being a black female coach?

To Natalie, all the power in the world goes to you. I am glad that you have been given the opportunity to be a coach and to continue to pursue a career in something that you have a true passion for. Don’t listen to the naysayers, go out there and win.

The video that I just watched was very revealing. To see the kind of acts that happen in another country at a sporting event is just unheard of state's side. Unlike most countries, including Europe, we tend not have to worry about things like racism and unruliness in sporting events. We don't usually see major fights break out in sporting venues in the United States. If we do, media coverage is just out the wazoo. For example, in the NBA game dating back to 2004 in the contest between the Indiana Pacers and Detriot Pistons in which arguably the biggest fight in major professional sports history in the United States broke out and Pacer player Ron Artest jumped into the stands and began to attack fans after being taunted by the fans during the game. The coverage was absurd. With media from ESPN and all over the country and world the issue came up with the player being black if it was a stereotypical thing for that player to do,

Simonetta