The conceptualization of racial tasking: Uncovering the (un)intended consequences

•Racial tasking occurs when racially different individuals perform different tasks although occupying the same position.•Black collegiate quarterbacks and coaches have been found to experience disparate outcomes resulting from racial tasking.•Racial tasking requires the converging interests of multiple stakeholders, often with racial and power differentials.•Racial tasking is a new and covert form of institutionalized discrimination and systemic oppression.•One outcome of racial tasking is the forgoing of long-term development in lieu of the potential for short-term success.Racial tasking focuses on prejudicial attitudes toward racial minorities’ athletic and cognitive abilities, and the subsequent impact on coaching decisions. Lacking, however, is a definitive conceptualization of racial tasking and its theoretical tenets. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to advance the concept by clearly outlining the four essential tenets of racial tasking: (a) positional similarity, (b) racial dissimilarity, (c) interest convergence/task divergence, and (d) capital (dis)accumulation. To this end, the authors introduce and review influential theories and ideologies, with particular application to the sport industry. In doing so, the authors detail the primary tenets of racial tasking, provide examples, and discuss implications to further situate this phenomenon and framework within the sport industry and sport management research.