Cultural Passport: 44 Books Featuring Black Athletes

Whether through social justice, fashion, popular culture or as sources of inspiration, Black athletes have always played a role in shaping the cultural landscape of America and the world. Athletes like Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali and Serena Williams built a legacy by defining their sports and inspiring countless people. Currently we see renewed activism on basketball courts and football fields. This was sparked by Colin Kapernick kneeling during the national anthem to bring awareness to social justice issues such as police brutality and its impact on Black and Latinx communities. 

Black athletes in predominantly white sports have been a powerful statement and an inspiration to the next generation while leveraging their platform to influence social change. Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. , the only Black driver in NASCAR, has noted that the killing of Ahmaud Arbery was a defining moment for him. In June 2020, Wallace Jr. successfully called on NASCAR to ban the display of confederate flags at all NASCAR race tracks. In international motor sports, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton rose to new heights in 2020 becoming the greatest Formula One (F1) driver of all time with the most pole positions and wins in the sport’s history. As the only Black driver in the F1 racing series, Hamilton has been bringing awareness to racial injustice by kneeling before races, wearing clothing calling for the arrest of the police responsible for the killing of Breonna Taylor and speaking on Black Lives Matter to a social media audience of over 20 million fans. 

Multifaceted trailblazer Althea Gibson, became the first Black player to win a major tennis tournament when she won the 1956 French Open and followed that up by winning the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles in 1957 and 1958. Gibson was born in 1927 in South Carolina and moved to Harlem at a young age. She also had a professional golf career after retiring from the tennis court and then for ten years starting in 1975 served as New Jersey State Commissioner of Athletics. Arthur Ashe, born in 1943 was the first Black man to win a US Open in 1968, the Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon singles title in 1975. Ashe used his platform to protest apartheid in South Africa and his voice as a public advocate in support for economic equality, gender equity, and fair treatment for Haitian refugees. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture houses the Arthur Ashe Papers: Arthur Ashe Archive, 1959-2003.

The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena have forever changed tennis by paving a way for a new generation of Black players. Venus worked for change through her activism—fighting and getting equal pay for female tennis players. Serena, in addition to cementing her place as the best woman to play the game of tennis, has pushed boundaries in the mostly white conservative sport through her grit, body-positive fashion and activism focused on equality for Black women. Off the court, the Williams sisters are also successful business owners both having clothing brands—EleVen by Venus Williams and Serena by Serena Williams. Venus also founded interior design firm V Starr Interiors. In 2009, Venus and Serena Williams purchased a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins making them the first Black women to hold any amount of ownership in an NFL franchise. Through her venture capital firm Serena Ventures, Serena has been paying it forward by investing in women-owned businesses. 

Track and field has had its share of Black superstars who have captivated the world with their flair, style, and speed. Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner challenged track and field norms with her stylish fingernail designs, track outfits, and hairstyles. As she became a fashion icon, the Indiana Pacers commissioned Joyner to design their uniforms known as the “Flo-Jo” jerseys. An Olympic gold medalist, Joyner’s dominance was also a force to reckon with as her 100 meter and 200 meter records are still unbroken. Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt electrified the world with his speed, world record shattering performances, and signature lightning bolt pose.  

The popularity of basketball has woven the sport into the fabric of American culture centered around compelling personalities. Basketball’s influence is seen globally in the industries of music, gaming, clothing, media and business. Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. brought the '80s Showtime era to the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the game of basketball to new heights and to mainstream audiences worldwide while winning five championships. After basketball, he would go on to be a successful businessman as CEO and founder of investment conglomerate Magic Johnson Enterprises investing primarily in ethnically diverse urban communities.

Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan changed the sneaker game and became a cultural icon through his Jordan brand. To this day Air Jordans are some of best-selling sneakers in the world and continue to be the most profitable NBA shoe endorsement deal in history earning Jordan $130 million in 2019. In 2014 Jordan became the first billionaire NBA player and the fourth-richest Black person in the U.S., behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, and Oprah Winfrey. As owner of the Charlotte Hornets Jordan is the only Black owner of an NBA franchise and in September 2020 Michael Jordan expanded his sports investment portfolio to auto racing. Jordan will be the second Black majority owner of a full-time NASCAR team, the first was Wendall Scott in the early 1970s. Jordan's first decision was signing Darrell Bubba Wallace Jr. who will start driving for Jordan's new NASCAR team named 23XI in 2021. Through the Jordan Brand, Jordan has committed to donating $100 million over the next ten years to organizations working to ensure racial equity focused on three priority areas: social justice, economic justice, and education and awareness. 

Ushering in a new generation of fans, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant was the bridge for the '90s babies, bringing a flair and self-confidence never seen before. He would go on to be called the “Black Mamba” and coining the phrase the Mamba mentality which was Bryant’s life and career philosophy driven by excellence and hard work. After retiring from the Lakers, Bryant branched out and excelled in many areas beyond the court. At the 90th annual Academy Awards, Bryant won an Oscar for his short film Dear Basketball produced by Granity Studios founded by Bryant. Bryant’s successful business investments included BodyArmor which turned a $6 million investment into $200 million and Bryant and Stibel a $100 million venture capital firm which he co-founded in 2013 with Jeff Stibel. A proud Dad of four daughters Bryant’s focus on gender equality was seen as he became a vocal champion of women's sports and through his mentorship to the next generation of women athletes. 

At the 2020 US Open, we saw rising tennis star Naomi Osaka publicly thanking Bryant for mentoring her before his untimely passing and wearing his jersey after matches for strength. Bryant and Colin Kaepernick are known supporters of the three-time Grand Slam champion and both cheering Osaka on from her player’s box during the 2019 US Open. The Japanese-Haitian champion is now part of a generation of Black athletes defining for themselves what it means to be both athlete and activist. Osaka honored Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castile and Tamir Rice by wearing a mask with each of their names during the seven matches that concluded in her 2020 US Open victory.

2020 has been an impactful year for four-time champion LeBron James. James had to contend with leading the Lakers organization to their first championship in ten years while carrying on the legacy of Lakers icon Kobe Bryant. James is known for his activism, athleticism, and being a leader on and off the basketball court. Committed to his hometown of Akron, Ohio James gives back through the work of The LeBron James Family Foundation. In 2014 James established I Promise, a part-time enrichment program for third graders with the Akron Public Schools. In July 2018 the next step of his plan was fulfilled when the I Promise School opened their own school building providing services such as free transportation, free bicycles and helmets, guaranteed tuition to the University of Akron for every student who graduates as well as GED classes and job placement services for parents. 

James’ is expanding his media ventures after raising a $100 million investment for SpringHill Entertainment, his media company with business partner Maverick Carter. SpringHill Entertainment productions include a game show premiering on NBC, the Space Jam movie reboot starring James, The Shop: Uninterrupted—an HBO talk show and Kneading Dough, an online partnership with JPMorgan Chase featuring athletes promoting financial literacy. James’ activism has also come to the forefront in 2020 through speaking up on social justice issues; recently he spoke out about the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The shooting prompted James, along with several other NBA players, to vote to cancel the remainder of the NBA season. It was only after speaking to former President Obama that the unified players decided to continue the season and reached an agreement with the NBA to form a social justice coalition and use all arenas as polling sites.

There is no shortage of stories of how Black athletes have electrified the world and captivated fans with their personalities, skill, talent, philanthropy and calls for social justice. The collection of books below features Black athletes from a wide range of sports including tennis, football, basketball, boxing, track and field, baseball, auto racing, gymnastics, golf, soccer, horse racing, and cricket. Whether you are a sports fan, interested in contributions that Black athletes have made to society or looking for inspirational stories of Black excellence, I hope you find one or more selections that speak to you.

Tennis

Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine by Merlisa Lawrence Corbett

Corbett, tennis columnist for Bleacher Report, makes a compelling case for Serena Williams as not only the greatest tennis player (male or female) of all time but also an inspirational role model and cultural heroine. 

—2020 Booklist Reviews

On The Line by Serena Williams with Daniel Paisner

In this able mid-career autobiography, tennis sensation Williams chronicles a childhood spent living the game with her four sisters and determined parents, and the success that followed. Faith, work ethic, and a love of tennis were paramount to the Williams children's upbringing, qualities that saw her through title contests from coast to coast, and then worldwide. 

—PW Annex Reviews

Black and White: The Way I See It by Richard Williams with Bart Davis

The rap on Williams, the sometimes tennis coach and father of Venus and Serena, is that he's fierce, independent, and occasionally inappropriate; in his new memoir, co-written with Davis (Closure), he tries to set the record straight. Gritty, opinionated, and inspirational, Williams' memoir is a testament to a man's courage, drive, and commitment. 

—Publishers Weekly Reviews

Come to Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession by Venus Williams with Kelly E. Carter

Multiple Grand Slam tennis champion Williams, who started her own business, V Starr Interiors, offers a series of essays by world notables/visionaries discussing how their sports backgrounds influenced their careers. Contributors include Sir Richard Branson, Denzel Washington, Bill Bradley, Bill Clinton, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Condoleezza Rice, Vera Wang, Billie Jean King, and Jack Welch. 

—Library Journal Reviews

Born to Win: The Authorized Biography of Althea Gibson by Frances Clayton Gray, Yanick Rice Lamb

“Althea built many bridges over her seventy-six years on this earth to ease our crossing. . . . She fought the good fight, she finished her course, she kept her faith, and she can rest-game, set, and match.”  —David Dinkins former mayor of New York City

“I am grateful to Althea Gibson for having the strength and courage to break through the racial barriers in tennis. She knocked down walls that gave us more freedom to concentrate on the game.”  —Venus Williams

Arthur Ashe: Tennis and Justice in the Civil Rights Era by Eric Allen Hall

Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL

Arthur Ashe by Eric Allen Hall explains how this iconic African American tennis player overcame racial and class barriers to reach the top of the tennis world in the 1960s and 1970s. But more important, it follows Ashe’s evolution as an activist who had to contend with the shift from civil rights to Black Power. Off the court, and in the arena of international politics, Ashe positioned himself at the center of the black freedom movement, negotiating the poles of black nationalism and assimilation into white society. 

—Publisher Summary

Charging the Net : A History of Blacks in Tennis from Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe to the Williams Sisters by Cecil Harris and Larryette Kyle-DeBose

The authors focus on the historic path from the 1940s to the present day taken by tennis greats Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Zina Garrison, Lori McNeil, Evonne Goolagong, Yanic Noah, James Blake, and Serena and Venus Williams, among others who have helped frame the African American experience in US and international tennis.

—2007 American Library Association

Football

Jim Brown: Last Man Standing by Dave Zirin

In a far-reaching biography that goes well beyond football, Zirin narrates the life of NFL legend Jim Brown. Brown walked away from the Cleveland Browns in 1966 as the NFL's leading rusher after only nine seasons to pursue acting and become a civil rights activist. 

—Publishers Weekly

The NFL National Anthem Protests by Margaret Haerens

The NFL National Anthem Protests begins with an overview of the topic followed by landmark events, impacts, and profiles of those involved. The basic facts are already familiar to many: the controversy originated with former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who acted to protest the killings of African Americans by white police officers and to highlight the racial disparity that exists in the US criminal justice system. 

—Choice Reviews

The Heritage: Black Athletes, A Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism by Howard Bryant

In this timely book, Bryant, senior writer for ESPN Magazine, astutely explains how sports serves "as a barometer of blacks' standing in the larger culture," with some black athletes facing harsh criticism for their support of equal rights. He cites Paul Robeson, who was the first Rutgers All-American star to play in what would become the NFL in 1921, and whose labor union campaigning got him blacklisted during the McCarthy era. 

—PW Annex Reviews

Things That Make White People Uncomfortable by Michael Bennett

Like athletes-turned-authors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the late Arthur Ashe, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bennett uses his professional fame to shed light on American racism in these astute personal essays. Equal parts memoir and manifesto, Bennett's book proves he can tackle the ills of society as capably as he tackles quarterbacks.

—Publishers Weekly Annex

Basketball

Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Raymond Obstfeld

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is nearing 70, and from that vantage, he writes, he is able to see the big picture, which is comprised of the many details, observations, and revelations that comprise this autobiography. An inspiring and very human story.

—Booklist Reviews

32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business by Earvin "Magic" Johnson

The Hall of Fame basketball player explains how he translated his talents on the basketball court into success in the boardroom, sharing more than thirty hard-won lessons in business gamesmanship, from finding an unfilled niche in the market and building and protecting a brand to creating a diverse team with complementary strengths and being a true leader. 

—Publisher Summary

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant

"I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best," writes Los Angeles Lakers legend Bryant in this exciting coffee-table book full of inspiring quotes, insights to his game, and beautiful photos by Bernstein. 

—Publishers Weekly Annex

Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby

Lazenby's thoroughly enjoyable biography is an impressive portrait of a man consumed by his competitive ambitions. It is also by far the most complete book on Michael Jordan to date, covering every aspect of his life (b. 1963) from his North Carolina ancestors to his current ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats. 

—Library Journal Reviews

LeBron, Inc.: The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete by Brian Windhorst

NBA superstar LeBron James has become the model for the contemporary athlete as tycoon. Windhorst, an ESPN reporter since 2010, has been following LeBron since 1999, when both men were coming up in Cleveland, and he's written three previous books on the star, who jumped from high school directly to the NBA. A fascinating look inside the prototype for the new corporate athlete. 

—Booklist Reviews

Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter by Craig Hodges

Organized chronologically, Hodges's Long Shot is a timely memoir which speaks to issues of race, class, and gender in the NBA, and of professional sports in general. This book illustrates the little-known history of a particularly politically active athlete and the repercussions he suffered for his activism. While not strictly academic, this book discusses several sociological issues and can be valuable to scholars of sport sociology, sport history, cultural studies, or African American studies. 

—Choice Reviews

Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson by Larry Platt

Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers' enigmatic and brilliant point guard, has attracted a lot of attention from authors and sportswriters alike. Written in a lively style and with something meaty for anyone who reads it, this book is recommended for all sports collections.

—Library Journal Reviews

We Matter: Athletes and Activism by Etan ThomasFormer college and NBA star Thomas has followed his outstanding basketball career with ventures into writing, radio, television, and social activism. His new book is an accessible collection of interviews and essays addressing racial profiling, the power and relevance of athletes' voices, gender inequality, and mental health stigmas. 

—Library Journal Reviews

Young, Black, Rich, and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, the Hip Hop Invasion, and the Transformation of American Culture by Todd BoydPage for page, this slim volume is a powerful and provocative history of modern basketball and how issues of race, class and popular culture have played out both on and off the basketball court. 

—Publishers Weekly Reviews

Boxing

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson by Geoffrey C. Ward

Johnson rose from poverty in Galveston, Texas, to become the first black heavyweight boxing champion only to end up ruined by his affairs with white women, which landed him in prison on trumped-up charges of "white slavery." This compelling and exhaustively researched biography resurrects the story of a uniquely fascinating man. The authoritative biography of Johnson for sure, but also one of the best boxing books in recent memory. 

—Booklist Reviews

The Big Smoke by Adrian MatejkaThe third book from Matejka covers the life of legendary heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, and like a fighter in the ring, these poems are fierce and fast on their feet. Matejka's project straddles that risky line between life and art, and some readers may question whether it transforms Johnson's life sufficiently into art, but others will find this to be a powerful and accessible poetry collection.

—Publishers Weekly Reviews

Sting Like a Bee: Muhammad Ali vs. the United States of America, 1966-1971 by Leigh Montville

Veteran Sports Illustrated writer Montville adds to the voluminous shelf of books on Muhammad Ali, but he focuses specifically on the years of legal wrangling that followed the boxer's refusal to join the army after being drafted. Montville goes into this period in Ali's life—a tumultuous time for the country, of course, in the midst of the Vietnam War—in greater detail than have the champion's other biographers, and the result is a book that belongs in the top tier of Ali literature. 

—Booklist Reviews
 

Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig

In his latest work, Eig, an unabashed admirer of heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), takes on the challenge of separating man from myth. As a boxer, Ali was a combination of power and grace. Eig, who is working with Ken Burns to develop a documentary on his subject, equals this combination with his blend of research and storytelling. 

—Library Journal Reviews

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (children's book) by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir NelsonIt's 1938, and the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium is electric -- with good reason: heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis is squaring off against Max Schmeling. Nelson vividly captures not only the drama of the fight scenes but also the entire nation waiting with bated breath and quickened pulse. His oil paintings, with their impassioned but regal quality, are an excellent counterpart for Joe Louis and this historic sporting event. 

—Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Track and Field

(Re)presenting Wilma Rudolph by Rita Liberti and Maureen M. Smith

In this culmination of a seven-year project, kinesiologists Rita Liberti (California State Univ., East Bay) and Maureen Smith (CSU, Sacramento) examine the cultural importance of and meaning constructed about Olympic champion Wilma Rudolph (1940-94) by interrogating various historical sources and cultural artifacts produced by and about the champion sprinter.  

—Choice Reviews

The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment that Changed the World by John Carlos with Dave Zirin

At the 1968 summer Olympics, 200-meter gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist Carlos each raised a black-gloved fist on the podium in protest of the stalled progress of U.S. civil rights. 

—Library Journal Reviews

Silent Gesture: The Autobiography of Tommie Smith by Tommie Smith with David Steele

With the help of Steele, Smith offers a well-documented and clearly written story behind the memorable 1968 Olympic moment when he gave the Black Power salute on the podium when he received his gold medal for the 200-meter dash. 

—American Library Association

The Revolt of the Black Athlete by Harry Edwards

This Fiftieth Anniversary edition of Harry Edwards's classic of activist scholarship arrives even as a new generation engages with the issues he explored. Edwards's new introduction and afterword revisit the revolts by athletes like Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos. At the same time, he engages with the struggles of a present still rife with racism, double-standards, and economic injustice. Again relating the rebellion of black athletes to a larger spirit of revolt among black citizens, Edwards moves his story forward to our era of protests, boycotts, and the dramatic politicization of athletes by Black Lives Matter.

—Publisher summary

Baseball

Jackie Robinson: An Integrated Life by J. Christopher Schutz

Jackie Robinson appears as a committed, ambitious, sometimes difficult young man able to grapple with apartheid in the US, retain his considerable dignity, excel both on and off the baseball diamond, and pay a large price in terms of inordinate stress and the far too early breaking down of his once magnificent body. 

—Choice Reviews

Stepping Up: The Story of Curt Flood and His Fight for Baseball Players' Rights by Alex Belth

Curt Flood was an outstanding center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960s. His baseball career was cut short by conscience, not injury. When he was traded after the 1969 season, he refused to report to his new team and mounted a legal challenge to baseball's reserve clause, which bound a player to a team forever, unless the team chose to trade or release him. 

—Booklist Reviews

Barry Bonds: A Biography by John Bloom

Barry Bonds is the only baseball player ever to have hit 500 home-runs and stolen 500 bases. Bloom (American studies, University of Maryland) offers an account of Bonds' career and examines his controversial public image and allegations of steroid use. 

—Book News

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss

When Roberto Clemente died on New Year's Eve 1972 while delivering relief aid to the victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake, his legacy as both cultural and sporting icon was secured for the ages. His baseball credentials were never in doubt—he was indisputably the best right fielder of all time.

—Booklist Reviews

Auto Racing 

Hard Driving: the Wendell Scott Story: The American Odyssey of NASCAR'S First Black Driver by Brian Donovan

Wendell Scott had a background similar to many of his contemporaries in the stock-car racing circuit of the early 1950s: an impoverished childhood; a rebellious streak; an aversion to mill, mine, or farm work; an affinity for cars; and some experience as a moonshine driver. Biggest difference? Scott was black. 

—Booklist Reviews

Gymnastics 

Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith by Gabrielle Douglas with Michelle Burford

An effervescent first-person account of 2012 Olympic gold medalist Douglas's life from birth to the Olympics written in collaboration with Burford, this book will capture the attention of sports enthusiasts and Douglas's admirers. Gabrielle "Brie" emerges as an exuberant young woman with a sense of humor. Supported by her mother and siblings, and by her strong faith in God, she sees herself as capable of achieving greatness "because God has equipped me with all I need to succeed.

—Publishers Weekly Reviews

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford

Who can forget the radiant smile and inexhaustible energy of four-feet-eight, 19-year-old Simone Biles, Olympian gymnast? This inspiring and humorous memoir details how Simone, with the help and support of her family, coaches, faith, and friends, succeeded in winning five Olympic medals in 2016, four gold and a bronze.

—Booklist Reviews

Golf

Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf by Pete McDaniel

Golfers talk a lot about "love of the game," but the phrase acquires a whole new level of meaning when it's used in the context of the first African Americans who tried to make careers for themselves on the links. No mere coffee-table book, this attractively illustrated and designed volume by veteran golf writer McDaniel (one of the first blacks to achieve prominence as a golf journalist) tells the fascinating and inspirational story of the first black golf pros in riveting detail and with quiet eloquence. 

—Booklist Reviews

Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian

Journalists and coauthors Benedict and Keteyian have deconstructed the carefully crafted movie script that has been Tiger Woods's life.

—Library Journal Reviews

Soccer

The First Black Footballer, Arthur Wharton, 1865-1930: An Absence of Memory by Phil VasiliTells the life story of the world's first black professional footballer, and probably the first African to play professional cricket in the Yorkshire and Lancaster leagues. The tall Ghanaian irritated many white supremacists because his education and sporting triumphs refuted Victorian era theories of racial inferiority.

—Book News

Pelé: A Biography by Lew Freedman

This biography of the famous soccer player chronicles Pele's selection for the 1958 Brazilian World Cup team, his accomplishments and challenges on the 1962, 1966, and 1970 World Cup teams, and his three years in New York City playing for the Cosmos. Pele's marriages, children, playing style, career with Santos FC, and international fame are also discussed.

—Book News

Horse Racing

Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack by Katherine C. Mooney

White men may have "owned" thoroughbred racing, but slave grooms, jockeys, and trainers used their skill and horsemanship to allow the southern US to dominate in the sport prior to the Civil War. Horse racing was so important to the political elite that northern and southern Whigs believed it could avert the impending crisis. 

—Choice Reviews

Black Winning Jockeys in the Kentucky Derby by James Robert Saunders and Monica Renae Saunders

This work examines the presence of black jockeys in the Kentucky Derby, from the first instance of slaves working as stable hands and tending their masters’ horses to the first black jockey to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby in 1875 and the continued participation of black jockeys in the Kentucky Derby.

—Publisher summary

Cricket

Fire in Babylon: How The West Indies Cricket Team Brought A People To Its Feet by Simon Lister

Tracing the remarkable journey from the "Calypso Cricketers'" notorious defeat to Australia in 1975 to world dominance shortly after, Fire in Babylon will definitively tell the story of how determination, controversy, and "pace like fire" came to change the lives of many, and become one of the great sporting tales.

—Publisher summary

Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket: C.L.R. James's Beyond A Boundary edited by David Featherstone, Christopher Gair, Christian Høgsbjerg, and Andrew Smith

Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket is a collection of essays that engage with C.L.R. James's book Beyond A Boundary (1962). In the introduction to the volume, the editors provide an overview of the context, themes, and reception of Beyond a Boundary, explaining how James interrogated his personal experiences with cricket to illuminate broader patterns of injustice in the British empire, particularly for black subjects. 

—Choice Reviews

Cultural Passport is a blog series about books covering the Black Diaspora exploring culture, cooking, dance, sports and spirituality. This series is written and curated by Troy Belle and Diana Tan.

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