Description
Book SynopsisIlluminates how public memory of Jackie Robinson has undergone changes over the last sixty-plus years and moves his story beyond Robinson the baseball player, opening a new, broader interpretation of an otherwise seemingly convenient narrative to show how Robinson's legacy ultimately should both challenge and inspire public memory.
Trade Review"
Reclaiming 42 is a welcome addition to the literature on Jackie Robinson."—Eric Allen Hall,
Journal of African American History"Readers will come away with a truer and more nuanced view of the man, as ballplayer and political actor."—Thomas Wolf,
NINE"This book by Dave Naze should be on every baseball fans bookshelf no matter what team you show allegiance to or your views on political matters."—
KNUP Sports“
Reclaiming 42 is a must-read for anyone interested in the relationship between sports and politics. It will appeal to baseball novices and baseball experts alike. David Naze’s exploration of Jackie Robinson’s vocal critiques of racial inequalities, and modern-day efforts to erase any controversial elements from Robinson’s memory, are especially timely.”—Jonathan J. Cavallero, associate professor of rhetoric, film, and screen studies at Bates College
“The story of Major League Baseball could not be told without mentioning Jackie Robinson. But his legacy too often has been simplified and sanitized, made to fit safely within our preconceived narratives about the role of race and sport in the United States. In this book, Dave Naze recovers a complex and human Robinson whose legacy exceeds the limitations of those narratives. Through a skillful analysis that addresses Robinson’s political activism and his prolific writings, as well as the ways that he has been memorialized, Naze invites us to understand that Jackie Robinson speaks not only to the ages but to our own time.”—Robert E. Terrill, professor of rhetoric in the Department of English at Indiana University, Bloomington
“A compelling contribution to the scholarship on Jackie Robinson and also on the Negro Leagues.”—Michael Butterworth, professor of communication studies and director of the Center for Sports Communication & Media at the University of Texas at Austin
Table of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Have We Failed Jackie Robinson’s Legacy?
1. Robinson’s Postplaying Career: A Political Impact
2. The Robinson-Robeson Clash: A Siren Song Sung in Bass
3. Cooperstown and Kansas City: The Museum Narratives
4. Jackie Robinson Day: The Contemporary Legacy
Conclusion: Taking Inventory of a Legacy
Notes
Bibliography
Index
