Description
Book Synopsis Part history, part biography, this study examines the Black athlete''s search to unify what W.E.B. DuBois called the two unreconciled strivings of African Americans--the struggle to survive in black society while adapting to white society. Black athletes have served as vanguards of change, challenging the dominant culture, crossing social boundaries and raising political awareness. Champions like Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Wilma Rudolph, Roberto Clemente, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James make a difference, even as many in the Black community question the idea of athletes as role models. The author argues the importance of sports heroes in a panic-plagued era beset with class division and racial privilege.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Hero Defined
- Section One—Boxing
- 1. Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali
- Section Two—Track and Field
- 2. Jesse Owens, Harrison Dillard and Mal Whitfield, and Rafer Johnson
- 3. Wilma Rudolph, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the Joyner Connection, and Carl Lewis
- Section Three—Football
- 4. Duke Slater, J. Mayo Williams, and Other Pathbreakers in the College and Pro Ranks
- 5. Fritz Pollard and Paul Robeson
- 6. Jim Brown and Black Quarterbacks
- Section Four—Baseball
- 7. Black Players in Baseball Before Integration
- 8. Jackie Robinson
- 9. Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella, Monte Irvin and Larry Doby
- 10. Willie Mays, Ed Charles, Henry Aaron, Frank Robinson, and Ernie Banks
- 11. Bill White and Curt Flood
- 12. Minnie Miñoso, Vic Power, and Roberto Clemente
- Section Five—Tennis
- 13. Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Venus and Serena Williams, and Naomi Osaka
- Part Six—Basketball
- 14. The Harlem Renaissance Five
- 15. Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson
- 16. Elgin Baylor, Connie Hawkins, and Dr. J
- 17. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin "Magic" Johnson
- 18. Charlie Scott and Michael Jordan
- 19. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant
- 20. Ora Washington, Lynette Woodard, Cheryl Miller, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, and Maya Moore
- Section 7—Golf, Hockey, Gymnastics
- 21. Tiger Woods, Willie O'Ree, and Simone Biles
- Conclusion
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
