The Revolt of the Black Athlete

by Harry Edwards

Overview

The Revolt of the Black Athlete hit sport and society like an Ali combination. 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. Incisive yet ultimately hopeful, The Revolt of the Black Athlete is the still-essential study of the conflicts at the interface of sport, race, and society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780252041075
Publisher:	University of Illinois Press
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Series:	Sport and Society
Edition description:	50th Anniversary Edition
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Harry Edwards is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He was the architect of the Olympic Project for Human Rights and his work has focused on the experiences of African-American athletes. His other books include The Struggle that Must Be: An Autobiography.

Table of Contents

Dedication: In Memory of Muhammad Ali, 1942-2016 vii

Introduction to the 50th Anniversary Edition ix

Foreword Samuel J. Skinner, Jr. 1

Preface 5

Acknowledgments 9

1 The Emergence of the Black Athlete in America 11

2 Sports and the Mass Media 32

3 Mounting the Revolt 38

4 Feeding the Flame 61

5 Mexico City, 1968 76

6 The Future Direction of the Revolt 94

Epilogue 98

Appendices 101

A Olympic Project for Human Rights 103

B The Revolt on the Campus 113

C The Black Record-Holders 131

D 1968 National Black Power Conference Statement 142

E Information Booklet Excerpts 147

Selected Bibliography 155

Afterword to the 50th Anniversary Edition 157

Index 177

Illustrations follow page 100

Editorial Reviews

"A useful addition to any syllabus for students of American politics or of journalism and in particular sports journalism."—Irish Independent


"A must read for all scholars, activists, athletes, and sport enthusiasts. . . . Edwards commandingly expresses how the collective voices and unified actions of Black athletes can evoke institutional change. The Revolt of the Black Athlete uncovers the axiom by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that, 'a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,' even at institutions of higher education."—Billy D. Hawkins, author of The New Plantation: Black Athletes, College Sports, and Predominantly White NCAA Institutions


"When whites respond to black protests with anger and resentment, unable to see the experiences of those who don't enjoy white privilege, that indicates that we have a lot of work yet to do. The re-printing of The Revolt of the Black Athlete comes at a perfect time to help us do that work and Dr. Edwards gives us an amazing example of someone who has spent his life not just talking the talk, but walking the walk."—Theresa Walton-Fisette, President of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport

"What The Revolt of the Black Athlete is about, at its heart, is organizing: the slow, laborious, never-complete process of working to constitute a collectivity that can seek to contest and overthrow the conditions of its subjection." —Los Angeles Review of Books

"Edward's essential position in the movement, his memory of the events, and his ability to connect them to present-day activism make this book a must-read."—Journal of Sport History

"The book remains highly relevant to the current climate of athletic activism and stands out as an important piece of sport history as well as a road map for critical discussions of sport." —idrottsforum.org

"If there's a book that synthesizes and gives historical context to the wave of social activism that's swept through modern sports, it's this one. . . .Through Edwards' eyes, we see the awakening of black athletes to their own power not as a surprise but as an inevitability." —The Undefeated

"The book remains highly relevant to the current climate of athletic activism and stands out as an important piece of sport history as well as a road map for critical discussions of sport." —idrottsforum.org

"The legendary Harry Edwards illuminates this edition with a deeply probing and personal half-century of perspectives, reflections, and wisdom. Edwards must have written this masterpiece with the assistance of a crystal ball. A generation later, it remains relevant to the current climate of athletic activism, and cannot be read without profit."—Al-Tony Gilmore, Historian and Archivist Emeritus, National Education Association

"There could not be a more timely moment in history to offer a new release of this classic. This was the work, by the man, that was the most influential in leading me to do the work that I do. No other work, particularly at the time of publication, ventured to either explain or provide guidance to the athlete and society on the black athlete. La plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The name changes and subtle progress over 50 years are admitted differences, but this work remains indispensable for us all."—Kenneth L. Shropshire, author of In Black and White: Race and Sports in America

"Edwards provides a unique insight and a compelling depiction of the critical race issues that generally had been ignored. This classic provocative and seminal book contributes significantly in addressing current issues facing the Black Athlete. A classic read!"—Fritz G. Polite, author of Sport, Race, Activism, and Social Change: The Impact of Dr. Harry Edwards' Scholarship and Service

"The reissue of Harry Edwards's groundbreaking The Revolt of the Black Athlete is right on time. Relevant as ever, necessary reading for all, it remains a classic, a game-changer, and a roadmap for critical discussions of sport. It is a clarion call for those that straddle the difficult line between sports fan and freedom dreamer."—David J. Leonard, author of After Artest: The NBA and the Assault on Blackness

From the Publisher