Edwards, Harry. The Revolt of the Black Athlete: 50th Anniversary Edition. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2017. Pp. 232. Appendices, Index. $29.95 hardcover. Reviewed by Kristy McCray “There can be no ‘for sale’ sign, no price tag on principles, human dignity, and freedom.” (p. viii) In 1968, Harry Edwards published The Revolt of the…
By Cat Ariail If, as suggested by Sport in American History editor Andrew McGregor, college football represents a “safe space” for conservatives, the NBA serves that function for liberals. In 2017, the NBA unapologetically carried on the spirit of Obamaian triumphalism. Most notably, LeBron James captured the sentiments of many a frustrated American in his much…
By Andrew McGregor “One lesson to be learned in reaching an age where you are both a viable politician and a washed-up lineman is that past glories are not negotiable in the open market,” then Vice-President Gerald Ford wrote in Sports Illustrated in July 1974. “When you stop winning they not only start booing, they…
This post is the fourth post in our Life and Legacy of Muhammad Ali Series guest edited by Andrew R.M. Smith. Muhammad Ali was a complex figure and he had a large influence beyond the United States. The goal of these posts is to explore various aspects of Ali’s life and reflect on his legacies, offering insight into understudied…
By Paul Emory Putz The resistance to Donald Trump’s vision of America is diverse. There are former CIA operatives, rogue government employees, the Merriam-Webster social media manager, woke babies, and millions of marching women. The world of athletics has gotten involved as well, with coaches like Greg Popovich and Steve Kerr speaking out. The most…
By Andrew McGregor Editor’s Note: The bulk of this post first appeared at the Society for U.S. Intellectual History (S-USIH) Blog on January 25th. It has undergone slight revision and is being cross-posted here with permission. Over the past year we’ve been witnessing a revival of athlete activism reminiscent of the “Revolt of the Black…
By Andrew McGregor Last night, amidst a mobilization of supporters — including hundreds of veterans — and against a looming deadline upon which the land they occupied would be “closed for winter,” the protestors at Standing Rock received good news. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied an important easement to Energy Transfer Partners, the…
By Louis Moore At this year’s ESPY Awards we witnessed a powerful force, famous black athletes coming together to attack police brutality and gun violence in America and to place themselves squarely in the growing social justice movement. These athletes, NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James used the beginning of…
Hawkins, Billy; Cooper, Joseph; Carter-Francique, Akilah; Cavil, J. Kenyatta (eds.) The Athletic Experience at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Past, Present, and Persistence. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. Pp. 270. Index, About the Editors, About the Contributors. $75 hardcover, $64.49 e-book. Reviewed by Kristy L. McCray It is only appropriate to begin this post…
By Dain TePoel At any given moment, someone is attempting to cross the United States on foot. Likely, that person is not alone. In fact, the website USA Crossers lists 279 individuals who have accomplished the feat of a transcontinental walk or run from the U.S. east coast to west coast, or vice versa, between…
Sport in American History 