{"product_id":"the-heritage-black-athletes-a-divided-america-and-the-politics-of-patriotism-paperback","title":"The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHoward Bryant\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFollowing in the footsteps of Robeson, Ali, Robinson and others, today's Black athletes re-engage with social issues and the meaning of American patriotism\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eNamed a best book of 2018 by \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThat was then. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eToday, 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Heritage\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHoward Bryant\u003c\/b\u003e is a senior writer for ESPN.com and \u003ci\u003eESPN the Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e and has served as the sports correspondent for NPR's \u003ci\u003eWeekend Edition Saturday\u003c\/i\u003e since 2006. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eJuicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eShut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston\u003c\/i\u003e; and the three-book \u003ci\u003eLegends\u003c\/i\u003e sports series for middle-grade readers. A two-time Casey Award winner (2003, 2011) for best baseball book of the year, Bryant was also a 2003 finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research Seymour Medal. In 2016, he was a finalist for the National Magazine Award and received the 2016 Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 8.9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 29, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757673939232,"sku":"9780807038086","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/9f5af49b7270e54864074b7c4648fecf.webp?v=1780108535","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-heritage-black-athletes-a-divided-america-and-the-politics-of-patriotism-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}