Kaliss, Gregory J. Beyond the Black Power Salute: Athlete Activism in an Era of Change. University of Illinois Press, 2023. Pp. 280. $24.95 paper.

Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski

Inspired by Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protest, Gregory J. Kaliss digs through the history of African-American activism, skipping past decades of “colorblind icons, like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, that lacked political engagement, to go all the way back to the 1960s. Names like Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Billie Jean King, and Jim Brown are the expected heroes of the book, and rightfully so. But Kaliss broadens the scope and brings to the forefront other activists, who, sometimes unknowingly or unwillingly, contributed to social change. The first years following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were a time of turmoil and constant confusion, as the legislation didn’t put an immediate end to discrimination. Athletes took center stage during the protests because of larger exposure afforded to them by sports marketing, deciding to use their platforms to show the disparities in salaries, conditions, and treatment.

Kaliss manages to provide a unique perspective on Jim Brown, positioning his activism as an instance of the “black capitalism” encouraged by Richard Nixon. He also highlights Billie Jean King, whose Virginia Slims Tour allowed women tennis players to earn more than the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USTLA) was willing to pay. In order to keep women players, USLTA had to increase their salaries. Kaliss points out that “both efforts for economic growth achieved success in their own right, yet both inevitably failed to fundamentally change the economic structures that led to imbalances across race and gender lines” (p. 30). Among other chapters are those devoted to Bobbi Gibb and Kathrine Switzer, who participated in the Boston Marathon back when women runners were prohibited by the Amateur Athletic Union to run races exceeding 1.5 miles, and Charlie Scott, the first African-American basketball player at UNC, and his efforts to “help the local black community gain access to higher education, a more nuanced understanding of history and culture, and better wages” (p. 107).

As a basketball historian, I found the chapter on the American Basketball Association (ABA) especially interesting. It offers an understanding of how special the league really was, allowing for a brand of basketball associated with urban playgrounds to exist in the public sphere.  Kaliss positions the ABA as a vital contributor to the hip-hop movement, as its inclusive character allowed players who lacked the height to make it in the NBA to still turn pro and make a living playing basketball. More importantly, it made flashy plays more frequent, giving Black athletes freedom of expression. Understood that way, the ABA played a vital part in celebrating African-American culture, whether it was individualism, pure athleticism or fashion sense. 

Kaliss’ book provides a fresh look at athlete activism of today by turning to the past, proving that athletes have always been at the forefront of change. Although athletes abstained from activism for a while, the 2010s brought about a new approach, with a new generation of athletes finding inspiration in the heroes of the 1960s and 1970s and following in their footsteps in their efforts to make the world a better place.

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Łukasz Muniowski recieved his Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Warsaw. He is the author of Three-Pointer! A 40-Year NBA History (McFarland, 2020), Narrating the NBA: Representations of Leading Players after the Michael Jordan Era (Lexington, 2021),and The Sixth Man: A History of the NBA Off the Bench (McFarland, 2021).