Low Price Guarantee
We Take School POs
The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism
Contributor(s): Bryant, Howard (Author)

View larger image

ISBN: 0807038083     ISBN-13: 9780807038086
Publisher: Beacon Press
Retail: $18.95OUR PRICE: $13.83  
  Buy 25 or more:OUR PRICE: $12.70   Save More!
  Buy 100 or more:OUR PRICE: $12.13   Save More!


  WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD!   Click here for our low price guarantee

Binding Type: Paperback - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: January 2019
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Sports & Recreation | History
- Sports & Recreation | Sociology Of Sports
- Political Science | Civics & Citizenship
Dewey: 306.483
LCCN: 2017053716
Physical Information: 0.9" H x 6" W x 8.9" L (0.95 lbs) 288 pages
Themes:
- Ethnic Orientation - African American
Features: Bibliography, Index, Price on Product
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
Following in the footsteps of Robeson, Ali, Robinson and others, today's Black athletes re-engage with social issues and the meaning of American patriotism

Named a best book of 2018 by Library Journal

It used to be that politics and sports were as separate from one another as church and state. The ballfield was an escape from the world's worst problems, top athletes were treated like heroes, and cheering for the home team was as easy and innocent as hot dogs and beer. "No news on the sports page" was a governing principle in newsrooms.

That was then.

Today, sports arenas have been transformed into staging grounds for American patriotism and the hero worship of law enforcement. Teams wear camouflage jerseys to honor those who serve; police officers throw out first pitches; soldiers surprise their families with homecomings at halftime. Sports and politics are decidedly entwined.

But as journalist Howard Bryant reveals, this has always been more complicated for black athletes, who from the start, were committing a political act simply by being on the field. In fact, among all black employees in twentieth-century America, perhaps no other group had more outsized influence and power than ballplayers. The immense social responsibilities that came with the role is part of the black athletic heritage. It is a heritage built by the influence of the superstardom and radical politics of Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos through the 1960s; undermined by apolitical, corporate-friendly "transcenders of race," O. J. Simpson, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods in the following decades; and reclaimed today by the likes of LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick, and Carmelo Anthony.

The Heritage is the story of the rise, fall, and fervent return of the athlete-activist. Through deep research and interviews with some of sports' best-known stars--including Kaepernick, David Ortiz, Charles Barkley, and Chris Webber--as well as members of law enforcement and the military, Bryant details the collision of post-9/11 sports in America and the politically engaged post-Ferguson black athlete.

 
Customer ReviewsSubmit your own review
 
To tell a friend about this book, you must Sign In First!