Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field

by Howard Bryant

A bold and impassioned meditation on injustice in our country that punctures the illusion of a postracial America and reveals it as a place where authoritarianism looms large.

Whether the issues are protest, labor, patriotism, or class division, it is clear that professional sports are no longer simply fun and games. Rather, the industry is a hotbed of fractures and inequities that reflect and even drive some of the most divisive issues in our country. The nine provocative and deeply personal essays in Full Dissidence confront the dangerous narratives that are shaping the current dialogue in sports and mainstream culture. The book is a reflection on a culture where African Americans continue to navigate the sharp edges of whiteness--as citizens who are always at risk of being told, often directly from the White House, to go back to where they came from. The topics Howard Bryant takes on include the player-owner relationship, the militarization of sports, the myth of integration, the erasure of black identity as a condition of success, and the kleptocracy that has forced America to ask itself if its beliefs of freedom and democracy are more than just words.

In a time when authoritarianism is creeping into our lives and is being embraced in our politics, Full Dissidence will make us question the strength of the bonds we think we have with our fellow citizens, and it shows us why we must break from the malignant behaviors that have become normalized in everyday life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Politics, Race, Essays, History, Social Justice

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2020

Reviews

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done Mr. Bryant. Using sports as the backdrop, Howard Bryant assails the myth of America and exposes the ways and means by which the myth continues unabated and often unchallenged. These essays are provocative, intended to shake one from their doldrums, demanding action. And that action doesn't have to be large, indeed a shift in consciousness might suffice.

But it is increasingly clear that a new understanding about the "playing field" is wholly necessary if one wishes to be truly enlightened.

"What was being said in these relationships, in effect, was that white people wanted the benefit of loving someone black without confronting the conditions that make life difficult for black people. When white people would say to me, “I don’t care if you’re black,” they were not being generous. They were not being progressive. They literally meant what they said. They did not care, and even if they did not mean it cruelly, they meant to say the historical, overwhelming conspiracy on the part of their country—by government, the judiciary, the financial and educational institutions, and by law enforcement— to ensure a black underclass was not enough (or was too much) for them. They might be sympathetic. They might not, but it was life, and however terrible they may have felt individually, they would do nothing more about it."

With passages like these, Full Dissidence is a welcome addition to the literary world and is deserving of a place on your bookshelf. He does an excellent job of dissecting the intersection of sports , patriotism and race, through these timely essays. There is also a brief and humorly interesting history on the board game monopoly, one this reader was unfamiliar with. It's a short book, clocking in at 200 pages, but none are wasted and every page feels essential. Howard Bryant is an excellent writer and a disturbingly provocative thinker. America is so in need of these types of books that hold up the mirror unflinchingly, while saying we can and must do better.

"It was a defense mechanism against the blunt force of the truth: their whiteness led to a pipeline of connections that led to handshakes that led to a résumé that would find its way to just the right desk. No one may have handed them anything but neither was a system of legal and extralegal racial barriers actively working against them." Thanks to Edelweiss for an advanced DRC. Book will be out January 21, 2020

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great points. I started to take notes, and then realized it might interrupt the flow. I would encourage all allies to read this collection of powerful and very accessible essays.

[Katie Bruell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One review says, "This book is exceptional." I agree. I kept thinking, "Is he allowed to say that??" This book contains the truth in a way that very few other people are willing to state it. I wish everyone in our country could be required to read and digest its contents.

[bamlinden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Bryant wasn’t holding back when he unleashed Full Dissidence on us last year. He is a master wordsmith...and blends that talent with brutal honesty and perspective that forces to reader to think about where we are as a society and what we are (or aren’t) doing to nurture it and support it.

I’m sure there are many people out there who would be disgusted by the series of essays put forth in this book...that there is an attempt to take, steal or move in what is inherently theirs. The sense of automatic ownership and pure lack of embracing inclusiveness is a bitter virus that is spreading in our society and it is put under a microscope for all to see.

Now that I think about it...I doubt those who care not for equal rights, inclusivity or a fair and just society wouldn’t even consider flipping through these pages.

What Bryant achieves in these pages is a peeling back of some of the most simple - and honestly, common sense mindsets that many of us never push towards. Our comfort in the way we live our day to day...especially those of us who are white, male, and have never really experiences struggle is exposed - and it’s uncomfortable.

For all the times I spent nodding my head in agreement with what I was reading, I couldn’t help but feel I was part of the root problem. We don’t put the importance of race, gender, equality and opportunity at the forefront. In fact, it’s created a greater divide than ever.

A thought-provoking book, incredibly written and sitting on the backdrop of sports (brands, teams, athletes) makes this a challenge for those who take it on.

I wonder though if Bryant sees the rays of optimism? The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel? That was the aspect of the subject that did not get explored. Maybe it just doesn’t exist.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intending to read Bryant's biography of Rickey Henderson since I have heard him talk about it on numerous podcasts, but that wasn't available at the library when I looked. This one was, though, and even though it's only somewhat tangentially "about" sports, it's probably even better for it. Bryant writes convincingly about being Black in America (obviously something I have no experience with) and uses sports to frame the discussion -- mostly in his definition of "dissidents" and how Black athletes are viewed by white people in this country. My only "complaint" (if it can even be called that) is that the book apparently came out in January of 2020, which, for many reasons, feels like it's worlds away from the present moment. Pre-George Floyd, certainly. I'd love to read an updated edition with more about George Floyd, police brutality, the pandemic, etc. Especially considering there's one whole chapter in here called "Copaganda" which is all about how sports teams lionize "first responders". (Possibly this updated edition exists, but the hardcover edition I have is just the first edition.)

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of essays-particularly “Renters”, “The Lost Tribe of Integration”, and “What Colin Kaepernick Taught Us”.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biting and trenchant. Not an easy listen (for this white woman) but so much truth shines through it was worth it. Bryant is a sports journalist, and much of his commentary comes through the lens of sports, but that should not discourage non-sports-fans from reading it. Most of what he looks at are issues and situations everyone is familiar with, such as Colin Kapernick’s taking a knee. Bryant’s discussion of Black professionals was especially eye-opening. Highly recommended addition to anti-racism literature.

[Maritess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, so insightful. Normally, I don't care about watching team sports. Bryant explains to someone like me in plain language why team sports are so controversial and influential. In the same breath he explains the racism in sports that is linked to everything in American culture--including credit! I read this and listened to the audiobook. Try to catch Bryant being interviewed on podcasts like "In the Thick" he is a hilarious personality too.

[Marius · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books needs a glass of wine for those who agree with it's premises and needs a strong stomach for those for whom these ideas are new. Howard Bryant says so many things that we as Black people think but are sometimes afraid to say because we wouldn't know how to provide the context for our feelings. Bryant is unapologetic, punishing, angry, insightful and at times overbearing. But everything he says makes you think. I think of it as a companion text to Between the World and Me but without as much beautiful prose. Read this book if you, of an race, want to be challenged.

[Michael Thorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard-hitting and supremely emotional. Mr. Bryant is a fantastic writer and brings a new and unique perspective on race, sports, politics, and culture. His description of being a Black man in America is haunting. Highly recommend.

[Carey Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard Bryant, senior writer for ESPN.com and a correspondent for NPR's Weekend Edition gets right to the point in his latest book, Full Dissidence: Notes From An Uneven Playing Field.

In typical baseball aficionado Bryant (he's written 3 books on Major League Baseball alone) fashion, the first line of the introduction swings for the fences: "To be black in America is to be a dissident; that black life in America is one of navigation, for the moment black people issue a grievance of any size, the mainstream backlash is loud and swift."

Herein is a collection of ten original, precise and scathing essays, to include such chapters as What Colin Kaepernick Taught Us; It's OK to Criticize the Military; and Copaganda.

And this is just Part One of Three.

As Bomani Jones, also of ESPN, asserts, Bryant " ...places important issues of sports in the proper context of their current times and historical precedent ... as we try to make sense of these chaotic times."

Nevertheless, Bryant states that this is not a how-to survival guide for a darkening time but an individual response to the malignant behaviors that have enveloped us.

As the dust cover affirms, Full Dissidence is "bold, brilliant, and deeply personal; a daring and captivating rumination on race, power, and injustice in America today."

Yet it also takes time to impugn everyone from "I'm not Black. I'm O.J.," to "I'm not Black. I'm Cablinasian," to "I'm Just Me. I'm Madison."

Until ...

[David Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Baldwin for a new generation!

I've always enjoyed Howard Bryant 's interviews on television, and it was during one of those interviews on C-span that I first heard of this book. I'm so glad that I read it. The book is almost prophetic in it's anticipation of the events and the times , indeed the History, that we are living now. He's wide ranging, clear, and see right to the underpinnings of the very real and deliberate system called institutional racism. His writing is just a notch behind James Baldwin.....and that is no shame.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Bryant has been a thoughtful, incisive writer and commentator on sports and American culture for years. Journalist and author, Bryant may be best known for offering incisive, no-holds-barred takes at the end of ESPN's old talking heads show, "The Sports Reporters." With "Full Dissidence," Bryant returns to book form with a collection of essays and observations about America as revealed in the world of sports and also by the election of Donald Trump to the White House.

As one might expect from a thoughtful Black sportswriter in a book subtitled, "Notes from an Uneven Playing Field," Bryant has a lot to say about race in "Full Dissidence." As a product of Boston's heavily segregated neighborhoods, Bryant has seen racism in action his whole life but America in 2020 offers a lot of food for sharp thoughts. Bryant sees an America still at war against Black Americans, where White Americans are the "owners" and racial minorities are "renters" (and he extends this to White women who are often treated as renters by White men, but who in turn can also treat minorities as renters.

In this collection of essays, Bryant brings a lot of factual evidence to support his claims. And like all collections of essays, some are more persuasive than others. I particularly enjoyed his indictment of America's hero culture, where we fawn over celebrities like Lebron James, Bono, and Jay-Z for acts of impressive philanthropy. The problem with this is not the heroes, but with our willingness to have a culture where these acts of heroism are necessary. Instead of cheering a rich celebrity who gives a car to a teacher, why don't we pay all teachers enough so they can afford to buy a car?

Others are less successful. Bryant goes to some length in his critique of tennis player Madison Keys, who at the ripe old age of twenty told The New York Times that she didn't want to identify as either Black or White (she is biracial), but instead, "I'm just me. I'm Madison." Bryant extrapolates a lot from this statement along with Tiger Woods' identification as mixed race but, as far as I can tell, he does not appear to have interviewed Madison Keys herself. It seems to me that if an elite athlete who is not yet old enough to buy a beer but is striving to become one of the best in the world at her craft (Keys is ranked in the Top 25 in the world consistently) would rather avoid the stress of waging into America's unwinnable racial debates, that's fine. Bryant is a writer - his job is to write and think - so we should expect him to deal with the big issues of the day. Keys, at 20, is entitled to a little more leeway than Bryant appears to grant her.

But this is a blip in an otherwise sterling book - Bryant is angry but it is a calm anger, one that (for the most part) focuses his pen and makes you appreciate his sentences that so often use just the right word at the right time. Highly recommended.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a passionate book where sportswriter Bryant most certainly does not seek to "stick to sports." This isn't just on how sports interacts with politics and culture, it's far more on politics and culture than on sports. The first sentence of the intro sets the tone: "To be black is to be a dissident" as this nation doesn't give blacks the same treatment or rights as it does to non-whites.

Various points are made along the way, ranging from how no one dare criticize the military (even Colin Kaepernick went out of his way to say he wasn't criticizing the military, not that it did any good) and how that can be used to shut down any/all protests. He has a chapter on copaganda on how loving the cops is a US tradition that's gone into overdrive since 9/11, and how that can be used to keep minorities down. A middle section shows how people who you might expect to help our often don't. Bryant's own background growing up shows how sometimes better off blacks try to move to white areas, though it can cut kids off from their heritage. Other minorities coming here, who you think might side with fellow-marginalized black people, often try to avoid black people instead - because they're the ultimate outcast group. White women like Tonya Harding can get their stories retold and recast as heroes, but that avenue is denied to black people. Ultimately, the Mediocre White Man can be presented as the standard arbitrator for what is/not allowed, which perpetuates all sorts of white favoritism. We celebrate famous people and influencers when they do something charitable, whereas the real way to solve these problems is something much more systematic -- such as taxing the rich instead of expecting them to voluntarily given some money. And it all adds up to the Trump administration.

[Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The hoax in America lies in the fiction that it wants to be America without first being white.”

Using sports (mostly) as the backdrop, Bryant eviscerates the bullshit racism that has permeated this country’s entire existence. He paints America as a country so desperate for any morsel of progress (Nike working with Colin Kaepernick after he was blackballed from the NFL, the way we celebrate charitable gestures from celebrities) that we ignore the racism that created these issues in the first place.

Every black advancement in history has been met with extreme over correction. Today the power views itself as a victim. And it’s easy to assess that blame to Donald Trump and Trumpism, but it’s existed long before that.

Howard dispels the faulty logic of many of this country’s core beliefs, challenging cops, the military, and the white redemption arc. It’s an incredibly smart takedown of the myth of the American Dream.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that a lot of the commentary in this book is spot on, but I feel like it comes at a place of... not arguing, but subtle anger?

It's totally justified, the state of the country, the hypocrisy, and overall racism is definitely not ok.

If you go into this book with an already open mind, you'll get a lot out of it. But if you go into this on the fence, or not understanding, I'm not entirely sure that you'll come away knowing more instead of being upset at the author's tone.

I think in terms of understanding race issues, "So you want to talk about race" by Ijeoma Oluo is a better read. I think this book may resonate more with men simply because of all the sports references, but I think it is more confrontational than SYWTTAR.

Maybe if I had read this book first, I wouldn't feel that way; but it's hard not to compare them.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many good points made. Unfortunately the book was a bit disjointed and some of Bryant's points seemed contradictory or to show perhaps envy. For example, Bryant rails against celebrities who fail to use their celebrity meaningfully when early in the book he was quite critical of Kaepernick for his choices. Yes, Kaepernick seemingly got a multi-million dollar settlement from the NFL (the actual amount is confidential), and he cut a deal with Nike, but this was after risking his career with no guarantee that he wouldn't end up in poverty. Bryant is critical of white women, who he sees as always defaulting to whiteness, yet is married to a white woman who he allegedly assaulted in public. Moreover, ironically he comments about those non-whites who opt for proximity to whiteness.

Overall, it was a good read, with many valid points, but also frustrating at times.

[Jacob Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heard Howard Bryant speaking about this book on a podcast and had to learn more. He writes the book in essay format, which reminds me of Coates’ We Were 8 Year in Power.

As a writer for ESPN, Bryant offers a vivid analysis of the current state of sports. The magic of this book is how Bryant shows how the world of sports reflects American politics and life off the field. He touches on all the barbershop and dinner table topics including, Kaepernick’s protest, the omnipresence of the military and police at sporting events and American streets, and who owns vs rents the American Dream.

I started to take notes while reading, but decided to let the book flow and revisit in a couple months to study.

[Yossi Khebzou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Siento que este libro ya lo había leído antes. ¿Por qué? Porque soy usuario de Twitter, y leer este libro parece echarse un clavado a Twitter izquierdista. Aunque esté de acuerdo con la mayoría de las conclusiones de Bryant (EE.UU. se formó con preceptos racistas que permean el sistema y todavía siguen vigentes), la forma en la que los argumenta me parece vaga y no sostenida. Acabo de leer a James Baldwin y la diferencia para exponer las mismas ideas es abismal.

Compré este libro porque lo encontré en la sección de deportes en una librería y creo que se parecería a The Heritage de Howard Bryant que me gustó mucho. Sin embargo, me encontré con un cúmulo de ensayos de la administración de Trump apenas sazonados con un poco de deportes.

[Abby Bruce]

“‘THIS BOOK IS AN ORACLE’ - Ibram X. Kendi”- Abby

The best portrayal of the current state of America and its common myths I’ve read since Kendi’s “How to be an Antiracist”.

Through the lense of sports, Bryant criticizes capitalism more generally and creates a space where it is OK to criticize parts of American culture that are seemingly infallible per general consensus and popular media (for example, there one whole essay “It’s OK to Criticize the Military”, whose articulation I found incredibly enlightening). For that reason, although not uplifting, I found this to be a refreshing read, and one that I will probably buy to add to my permanent collection as a reminder that we CAN be (should be) dissenters to the “norm”.

[Charles Gargiulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard Bryant started as one of my favorite sports writers and has expanded upon his excellence in sports journalism to becoming one of the most important writers about systemic racism. His powerful essays are of the magnitude of Ta-Nahesi Coates in hard-hitting, no bullshit, courageous and powerfully written truth-telling about the hypocrisy, danger and destruction of American democracy and moral aspirations by the cruel despotism being perpetrated upon on all of us by the unholy alliance between white-Christo-fascists and the multi-billionaire class. Sadly, the people who need to read this never will but it behooves the rest of us who are determined to resist this fascist takeover to read the powerful truth telling by a talented writer of integrity like Howard Bryant.

[Emma-Kate Schaake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellently covers racial and societal inequities, mostly in the world of sports. From celebrities who disavow their blackness to get ahead (Tiger Woods), to the misconstrued validity of Colin Kapernick, to the militarization of police and war to the othering of American citizens of color and the persistence of problematically racist mascots (ATL Braves et al).It gave me food for thought in an area I don’t know as much about (sports) and really highlighted the arena’s societal impact and commentary.

[Jennifer Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is, quite plainly, a war against black people in this country. We will be tolerated if we do not speak, do not challenge, and appear grateful for everything we have, grateful that our lives are not worse. Our successes are treated as opportunities given and not earned. We do not have the right to address injustices or imbalances, regardless of their historical and statistical obviousness, and when we do the campaigns to smother, discredit, and ignore our perspective are immediate and unrelenting." Such powerful, and painfully true words.

[Chris Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wide-ranging, fearless writing and concise points

I would definitely recommend this book. It was something that was unexpected in my opinion because I know of Howard Bryant from some of my favorite sports shows.

This book is offers a great perspective on how racism is so ingrained into all fascists of the American experience. With a focused view on how our love of sports is so intertwined with politics, corporate greed, and America’s favorite pastime - racism.

I particularly loved the chapters, Renters & What Colin Kaepernick Taught Us

[Matt Carton · Rating 5 out of 5]

"[T]here is no power in being American. There is only power in being white." Its observations such as these that permeate through Bryant's book, perhaps his best. Full Dissidence is a collection of essays that gets to the heart and core of the toxicity of whiteness in today's America. This is as important a read as Tressie McMillan-Cottom's Thick and Ibram X. Kendi's How to be an Anti-Racist. Read it now.

[Beverly Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Howard Bryant's commentary on NPR, so I was eager to read his latest book. This is difficult , important book for every person who worries about the direction to country continues to move in race relations or the lack there of . I fear many people who should read this book won't because it is written by a sportswriter. The style is a little difficult and probably would be better as an audio read. If you can't read the whole book, don't miss the last chapter--Postscripts.

[Daniel Biegner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every one of the essays in here is incredibly thought-provoking. Bryant's writing is super accessible, even when discussing topics you can't personally relate to (such as being a person of color when you are a white reader) and things you might not personally care much about (such as steroids in baseball or NFL players' unions). The intersectionality of politics, gender, and race and sports is always there. It's super refreshing when people actually acknowledge that and talk about it.

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book packs a wallop, maybe more than one. Bryant opened my eyes to many aspects of the sports world and is forcing me to look honestly at just what is really going on. It has always been obvious to me that black college athletes are being used, especially football and basketball players, but they have been conned into believing they are preparing for their “career”. In one sense they earn every penny they are paid when they become professional athletes.

[Ken Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit of a Howard Bryant fan prior to reading this book. Nonetheless, Howard expertly navigates that racial and social issues that intertwine with sports. Howard deep dives in such a way that the it becomes so obvious that sports and society mirror one another. And why not, because out sports figures come from our society. The book was published over a year ago, but is more relevant today that it was 1 year ago.

[Darryl Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written from one of current top sports journalist in America. Normally you would expect Howard Bryant's main focus to be sports related. But that's not the case here. Mr. Bryant delves into the uneven playing field that involved race and class which was incurring when he was in primary school, through college, his adult life working as a sports journalist and everything in between including politics, sports, business, news and media entertainment. A must read!