It is important to study language in a class that discusses inequality because language is a tool that is used to keep oppressed groups down. The saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me” is false. Although no physical harm may come to a person through language, racial stigmas are promoted through terms used by the public. Often times these terms may seem harmless, but especially in the sports world, language that the journalists use to describe black athletes further perpetuates damaging stereotypes. It seems that every time a
media personality prefaces anything Richard Sherman says, they say that he is "intelligent and went to Stanford." Anyone who follows the NFL knows that Richard Sherman went to Stanford and can tell by his press conferences that he is smart. When older, white, male journalists constantly mention his intelligence, they make it seem like he is an outlier, or that his intelligence is so extraordinary that it needs to be mentioned 24/7. In reality, he is just a player with strong opinions and the platform to voice them. If language is studied, then people can identify subtle racist comments and recognize the stereotypes associated with them.
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