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Howard Bryant

The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism Paperback – January 29, 2019

by Howard Bryant (Author)

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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.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Beacon Press
Publication date

January 29, 2019
Dimensions

6.02 x 0.85 x 8.97 inches
ISBN-10

0807038083
ISBN-13

978-0807038086
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fascinating, insightful look at race, politics, and sport.”
—Booklist

“A well-researched meditation on the historical pressures on African-American athletes to embrace (or avoid) political engagement. . . An appealing blend of sports history and provocative discussion of race and success, respect, and representation in America.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“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.’ . . . . This indispensable book expertly chronicles a fractured nation dealing with black players who no longer want to (as Fox News host Laura Ingraham told LeBron James) ‘shut up and dribble.’”
—Publishers Weekly

“A fascinating and complex look at the role of black athletes as political activists. Bryant’s analysis of the intersection of professional sports and promoting patriotism (or nationalism, depending on one’s point of view) is especially enlightening.”
—Library Journal

“Bryant keeps his eye on the ball. On top of that, Bryant writes with the kind of vim, in turns darkly comic and serious, that pulls you from page to page. It’s a bracing analysis that brings clarity during a hazy season.”
—Pacific Standard

“Bryant’s The Heritage is required reading for young people to realize what they’re seeing isn’t new, for current adults to understand the current climate in American sports and for older folks who lamented the lack of activist voices in the athletic ranks. The baton has been tossed.”
—New York Amsterdam News

“This book will surprise, enlighten, and provide readers food for thought. Heritage lingers in the consciousness—readers will find themselves revisiting its pages long after completing it.”
—Los Angeles Review of Books

“It may make people uncomfortable, but I’m pleased that Howard Bryant has chosen to tell the story of our heritage, and even more pleased that there are still ballplayers today who are willing to stand up for what they think is right.”
—Henry Aaron, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer

“Serious times call for serious action. After leaving a communist totalitarian country when I was eighteen, I was free to speak out, and I did. The Heritage gives the clearest breakdown I’ve read on why we athletes not only have the right to advocate for what we believe in—but oftentimes a duty.”
—Martina Navratilova, eighteen-time tennis Grand Slam winner

“If you believe that sports can be a lens for interpreting and understanding our world, then The Heritage is the Rosetta stone. Howard Bryant’s latest explains so much about racism and the black athlete’s place in US history that every chapter could be its own college course. But Bryant’s book is less history than twenty-first-century prophetic fire: a polemic homing in on the ways that militarism, sports, and black athletic resistance have become volcanically explosive in the era of Trump. This is the book for explaining our times, whether you give a damn about sports or not.”
—Dave Zirin, sports editor, The Nation, and author of Jim Brown: Last Man Standing

About the Author

Howard Bryant is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine and has served as the sports correspondent for NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday since 2006. He is the author of The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron; Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball; Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston; and the three-book Legends 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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beacon Press; Reprint edition (January 29, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807038083
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807038086
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 0.85 x 8.97 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #217,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #60 in Sociology of Sports (Books)
- #266 in Sports History (Books)
- #1,057 in African American Demographic Studies (Books)

Customer Reviews:
246 ratings

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Howard Bryant

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Howard Bryant is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine. He has also served as the sports correspondent for National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday since 2006.

Prior to joining ESPN in 2007, Mr. Bryant spent the previous two years at The Washington Post. He has worked at the Boston Herald, The Bergen Record, The San Jose Mercury News and The Oakland Tribune.

A native of Boston, Mr. Bryant is the author of three books: Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston, Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball and The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron.

He has also contributed to five other books: Thinking Black: Some of the Nation's Best Black Columnists Speak Their Mind (1995), Red Sox Century, Yankees Century, The Dodgers and The Good City: Writers Explore 21st Century Boston.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

246 global ratings

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1 star		3%

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R. hamilton

Intersection of Sports, Race, and Politics

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

I just finished "The Heritage" a new book by Howard Bryant which covers the intersection of sports, race, and politics in America over the past several generations. Figures like Jackie Robinson, Paul Robeson, Muhammad Ali, John Carlos , Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Curt Flood represent the Heritage for the Black Athletes, and the story follows how the sports owners dealt with their loathe towards activism and recounts the silence during the 80's-90's-00's. How 9-11 enabled stealth defense spending to be used to fund patriotic activities at all major sporting events then on through today's controversial on field protests. The catalog of police events relating to Colin Kaepernick's protest are uncomfortable to read but this book can be, in my opinion, an important source of understanding for segments of america that are disturbed by on field protests.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

deno

Great book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

As usual mr. Bryant does great informative writing

One person found this helpful

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Brandon D Haynes

Great and relevant read in connection with the 2020 sports landscape

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 2, 2020

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed reading this book. I appreciated a historical lesson on the black athlete's heritage of fighting for civil rights, the loss of the fight do to the "greening" of blackness in sports, and the reapplication in modern times. I would recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about why athletes protest as they do.

Helpful

Seth

An interesting, well-written book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

A strong read illustrating the heritage of black athletes who fought for a greater change. Black athletes who did more than just play the game. Helps connect Colin Kaepenrick, Maya Moore to Paul Robeson. Also, interesting looks at how 9/11 connected to the sports world. Knowing the past is essential and this book ties the past to the present day very well.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

I heard an interview on NPR from the author about this book and was immediately intrigued and ordered the book that day. This might be in my top 10 books I've read in a long time. Having grown up in the Michal Jordan/Tiger Woods generation this book taught me an immense amount of history and helped me understand our currently climate to a greater degree. This book spurred conversations I don't think I would have been able to articulate prior to reading it. I can't recommend this book enough!

6 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Perfect book for the modern era of sports entertainment

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

If you’re wondering how we as a nation arrived at this juncture at the crossroads between sports, race & social commentary/political activism? All you need to do is read this book alongside “Full Dissidence” by the same author. Highly recommended & an essential read.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 4, 2018

Verified Purchase

I learned a lot about many events I've lived through and Mr.Bryant was successful in getting me to see the bigger picture and many of the behind the scenes social issues. It was depressing to learn how little progress we've made as a society and encouraging to realize that there are movements afoot.

5 people found this helpful

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Brian S.

Clears the air regarding race, sports, and patriotism.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

Gives a clear understanding to the different views on racial issues, sports, and patriotisim between majority America and minority America. This is a great book. I couldn't put it down. Gives some behind the scenes look at decision made by some popular athletes and explains the different approaches they took regarding activism.

One person found this helpful

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