Bostons Black Athletes: Identity, Performance, and Activism

Sport often mirrored the racial climate of the time, but it also informed and encouraged equality on and off the field. In Boston, the Black athletic body historically represented a challenge to the citys liberal image. Boston's Black Athletes: Identity, Performance, and Activism interprets Bostons contested racial history through the diverse experiences of the citys African American sports figures who directed their talent toward the struggle for social justice. Editors Robert Cvornyek and Douglas Stark and the contributors explore a variety of representative athletes, such as Kittie Knox, Louise Stokes, and Medina Dixon, that negotiated Bostons racial boundaries at sequential moments during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to demonstrate Bostons long and troubled racial history. The contributors biographical sketches are grounded in stories that have remained memorable within Bostons Black neighborhoods. In recounting the struggles and triumphs of these individuals, this book amplifies their stories and reminds readers that Bostons Black sports fans found a historic consistency in their athletes to shape racial identity and cultural expression.