Although Eddie Tolan was
one heckuva runner, and though he'd won two gold medals, by
1933, he was done. The 1932 Olympics were over and so was
Tolan's career because he knew that opportunities for
African-American athletes were few and "simply getting by
may be his best path forward."
Ralph Metcalfe hated to
see that, but it wasn't entirely bad news. He, too, was a
medal winner in '32, and he had his sights set on running
the 100-meter dash in Berlin in 1936. Competition was bad
enough; seeing Tolan literally out of the running was a
relief.
Metcalfe wasn't the only
African-American athlete hoping for glory in Berlin. Max
Robinson knew he'd have to run against Jesse Owen and that
would take some planning. No problem; Max had to set an
example for his little brother, Jackie Robinson anyhow.
Archie Williams wanted to run, but he wanted an education
more; medals were good, but his future held a degree in
engineering. Louise Stokes was a record-breaker, and she and
Tidye Pickett were fast friends, in part because they were
the only two black women on the 1936 track team and sticking
together helped them deal with the racism from inside and
outside that team.
Altogether, there were 18
African-American athletes who boarded a luxury cruise ship
and set sail for Berlin
– but not quickly. Not until officials decided that
despite what Germany and its leader represented, America
would compete against the Nazis...
Believe it or not, it's
not the descriptions of the competitions that make
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice so heart-pounding –
although that's pretty exciting stuff.
It's not the fact that
authors Deborah Riley Draper, Blair Underwood, and Travis
Thrasher show the outrageous racism endured by elite
athletes of the time, and were then forgotten – although
you'll have to pick your jaw up every few pages, so beware.
No, the thing inside this
book that'll make you catch your breath is something that
swims just beneath the story, something so malevolent that
the authors don't, initially, even have to give it a name to
scare readers plenty. You'll absolutely love the stories of
these athletes, each of which starts in their childhoods and
moves forward to their competitions and beyond. After
knowing what they endured, and disappointments they had
because of racism, you may feel like righting more wrongs
that have already been remedied.
These things are true. But
it's a maniacal dictator that gives this book its chill.
Step up and find this
tale, then step back in time. If you need a fascinating
history book now, Olympic Pride, American
Prejudice holds that promise.
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