African American Athletes Who Made History

by Louis Moore

Listening Length 4 hours and 19 minutes

The Great Courses -

Professor Louis Moore’s audiobook about the history of African Americans in sports in the United States educates listeners about the fascinating social and cultural history of the nation. For example, integration of major league and professional sports broke a major color barrier for one of the first times in the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. African American athletes competed in America long before the 20th century—in fact, they even competed during the years of slavery.

• Boxer Tom Molineaux, who fought for the entertainment of slave masters, went on to earn his freedom, and then became a professional fighter and trainer
• Champion boxer Jack Johnson
• High jumper Rose Robinson
• Track star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens
• Baseball legend Jackie Robinson
• Decathlon gold-medalist Rafer Johnson
• The first female African American Olympians, Tidye Picket and Louise Stokes

Hear how the struggles and triumphs of these and other African American sports stars opened doors for professional players who came to dominate their fields, including Serena Williams and Michael Jordan. Learn about the founding of Black sports leagues during the years of segregation, how the Great Migration reshaped athletics in America, and how African American athletes balanced their athletic success with the everyday reality of racism and became engines of social change. While sports helped level the playing field in many ways, Black athletes still grapple with the legacy of inequality in America today.

Genres: History, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Sports, Biography, American History, Historical

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published February 18, 2020

Reviews

[Sharon :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I listened I learned so much!

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction not just to African-American athletes but to their role in fighting for civil rights. Starting with a brief but fascinating overview of sports in Africa before the English slave trade (did you know that Africans were using “freestyle” to swim and the English were using the “breaststroke”?), Moore gives a quick concise overview of how African-American men and women have fought for their right to participate in sports. It was a bumpy road in which prejudice and racism often hampered African-American sports dreams. Yet, rather than let this beat them down, a great many African-American athletes used the fame they acquired in sports to fight for civil rights for all African-Americans. Along the way, we learn that figures like Joe Louis and Mohammed Ali did much more than dominate their professions. It’s a quick and highly informative survey.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up as a random Audible freebie a while ago, probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise as (with very few exceptions) sports and athletes aren't subjects I'm particularly interested in. This lecture series, however, proved to be informative, engaging and surprisingly interesting.

[Niki Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to how racism played out in sports through America’s history.

Brief summaries highlighting different athletes and what they did as activists. Scratched the surface yet still a good essay.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable Audible choice in a course format of famous athletes. I was familiar with about half of them, some names were familiar but I didn’t know their stories, and some I had never heard of at all. I have never followed boxing so many of those were new to me.

I actually started this because I wondered if Colin Kaepernick would be mentioned in view of the many protests going on around the country. I admired him for his courage in kneeling to call attention to police brutality and racial inequality. After hearing the crap from all of the NFL owners who now want to be on the politically correct side of the current protest, he deserves a public apology from them. He was indeed mentioned as were others I did not know about.

What I actually got from this was so much more than I expected. This does indeed cover athletes from the plantation to the playing field. It was a history lesson of their contributions and sacrifices and the number of years black athletes were oppressed by the sports that in many cases used them.

[Lindsay Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free Audible Original great course. I enjoy these "great course" offerings. The lectures are each about 30 minutes, and they're not too complicated so they're great to listen to while falling asleep.
Although I know a lot about sports and history and have lived through quite a few of the events described, I still learned things.
LL Cool J is a descendant of 2 boxers - bare knuckle champion Tom Molineaux (early 1800s) and Christy Lewis (1930s - brother of Champion John Henry Lewis). I had never heard of Tom Molineaux. I also didn't know much about the American Tennis Association, a black tennis organization that still exists close by in Largo, MD. I knew about the Negro Baseball Leagues, but still learned a lot about how they came into being and were organized. I did not know that some African tribes excelled at swimming and diving and were sought out as slaves by those looking for people to dive for pearls and such.
I wish there had been more about African Americans in golf, cycling (the author even mentions cycling a couple of times, but never elaborates), racing, and swimming. All in all it was good if brief.

[Owlonmywrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of black athletes and how sports and activism have and should continue to co-occur.

[Kelsey Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting audiobook. I wished he went a little bit more in depth… but interesting all together.

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thorough but quick run-through of African American athletes who fought for their place in sports and in doing so and found a place in the annals of history. Moore was a lackluster narrator and that detracted a little bit from the history lesson, for me. But I learned a lot from this Great Courses audiobook.

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Plantation to the Playing Field
Review of the Audible Original audiobook (February 2020)

This was an excellent overview of famous African American athletes and included several names and life stories which were entirely new to me starting with the first topic which was about boxer Tom Molineaux (1784-1818), a former slave who earned his freedom through his prizefighting skills.

Lecturer Moore covers the famous names of history such as Jack Johnson, Satchel Paige, Joe Louis, Jessie Owens, Jackie Robinson and many others into the current day with the gradual evolution of the African American athlete into a social activist which has became ever more known through modern media. It was a bit of a shock to be reminded about how beloved footballer O.J. Simpson was in his heyday when he was a pitch man for various services and products such as Hertz Rent-a-Car. It was moving to be reminded of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics, which was probably the most prominent display of athletes making a symbolic statement about civil rights before Colin Kaepernick's NFL protests in recent years.

African American Athletes Who Made History was originally released in February 2020 and was also one of ten free Audible Originals for members in July 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.

[Gregp · Rating 3 out of 5]

6 out of 10

First 3/4 of the course was great but the intellectual dishonesty and omission of nuance in the last lecture or two had me questioning some of the earlier material.

[Nikkei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge sports fanatic and enthusiast so reading about athlete activism had me hooked. I don't think people realize how fairly recent the discussion and change in African-American representation started until you see the timeline - the 60's really weren't that long ago. This audible highlighted historical African American athletes who paved the way for others like Jamie Robinson (MLB )and Michael Jordan (NBA) to today's athletes like Lebron James (NBA) and Serena Williams (Tennis); the journey they took to get where they are today was not smooth and came with a lot racial microagressions from the public. If we're talking about including 2020 Tokyo Olympics, you can't forget about Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles who are prime leaders and examples of prioritizing mental health first before your goals. Probably the biggest difference between the generations of sports is the amount of women involved today, and the responsibility & the platform that comes with being a recognized athlete. Athlete activism is huge and these people have immense pressure from media & people watching all around the world, and know one really understands what that is like except themselves among athletes (which is why I think sports psychology is essential and should be integrated from the start of youth sports but that's a discussion for another day and another book). Despite this, they are using their platforms to raise awareness on social & racial justice movements like Black Lives Matter. They represent their community and when they see that their community is hurting, the right thing to do is speak up about it.

Another thing that I highly agreed with is how the hiring of Black managers/leadership for sports wasn't just about representation in sports, but it signified that African-Americans can contribute on-&-off the field and lead, even white athletes in the face of white supremacy. This also propelled going forward African-Americans leading in other industries (healthcare, fashion, etc.), not just in sports.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really solid, even as someone who isn't interested in sports that much. I feel like no matter who you (I would hope), this book will resonate with you. The struggles of African American athletes were certainly eye-opening and mortifying in terms of justice. White people expected black athletes to be their entertainment for so long, without allowing them to have a shred of the same rights as whites in their daily lives. The objectification of black athletes in America is so insanely corrupt and cruel, and when these athletes took the opportunity to use their platform to speak about issues, they were told things like "shut up and dribble". A quote that really stuck with me was "the white man must be rescued" in reference to a certain white athlete coming out of retirement in order to maintain their champion title in the face of prosperous black athlete Jack Johnson winning so often. Why are black individuals so often seen as the opposition to so many white people not only in history but in the modern day? It astounds me that a person can see someone who looks different succeeding and think that it infringes on their human rights, especially when those same rights are not given to the individuals they villainize. I also really appreciate the perspective shown regarding black women because so often they are left out of the conversations, even when regarding race. Please read this lecture if you love sports, and if you are like me and don't know much about sports, it is still worth a listen.

[Michael Rhames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 4/5
Most of the lectures in this book give you the history of African American Athletes in general more than their individual stories, which is what the title promises. It's a very good read, regardless. Well, thought out and perfectly executed.

Cover: 2/5
Meh. It does the job. Telling you the name of the book and hopefully what it is about, that is.

Writing/Delivery: 8/10
This is a very well thought out series of lectures mostly on the history of American black men and women in sports in general rather than about specific black men and women in sports who made history, which is what the title sells. No matter, I still liked the book. Just that I went into it expecting one thing and got another, and that always throws me off at first. I loved hearing about legends like Muhammed Ali, Jackie Robinson, and Satchel Paige, among others. So the title wasn't entirely off. I also loved that at some points my eyes stung with the injustice as well as with the victories these men and women lived through, some of which I had already read about, but still. A book should deliver a powerful emotional experience, and even if not all the way through, this one complied.

Performance/Audio: 10/10
This Audible Original was very well paced, toned, and articulated. Very easy read. One of the best I have experienced so far in this area.

[Troy Zaher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not really into sports, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this. However, there was quite a lot of interesting things I learned about since the focused seemed to be more on the activism of athletes in America rather than about the sports themselves. I particularly enjoyed the last chapter that discusses the current wave of activist athletes and their relation to those who came before them. In fact, I wish this course had been framed a little more in that way, as I would’ve probably been more invested in some of the older stories, had the connections to modern ones been made as they were being told.

It also raised some interesting questions about how Americans seem to value black athletes who are willing to ignore racism, over those who wish to confront it. Very reminiscent of white Americans who attempt to adopt a “colorblind” worldview.

Also, as an arab american, this course has made me curious to learn more about the “Nation of Islam”, an organization that I already knew a bit about (and have always found interesting that it seems divorced from the traditional views of the religions geographic ancestry) but their relationship to some of these historical athletes has peaked my interest. I’ll likely pick up something about them soon.

[Damana Madden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another short Audible educational title that I wanted to like but had a major issue with.

The stories were fascinating. Some I knew, which he extended on and some I didn't and they were interesting once I looked up more detail.

The thing I couldn't be OK with was how the narrator and lecturer kept talking about every sporting event was the greatest of all time in the whole wide everything world and universe. It was sooooo American. They do tend to forget the rest of the world exists and this kept coming up over and over again.

One thing I did get from this book is that I looked up a lot of things, including the Jim Crow laws. I had heard of them but didn't have the details. This made me want to learn more and that is why this isn't a one star. This book made me want to learn more. That is my definition of a good lecture.

There were a lot of assumptions around the reader knowing a lot about African American history. Maybe that was my failing as a reader. It did make me feel left out and a little dumb.

Don't bother reading it. There are better options. I will let you know when I find a better alternative.

2 wrongs out of 5.

[Nicholas Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of blacks in sports, at least as told here, often comes across as a history of racism in sports. So many sporting matches were seen as battles between races and so many people sure expended a lot of energy keeping blacks and whites separated with “gentlemen’s agreements.” Lots of respect to people like Jackie Robinson. My respect for Michael Jordan dipped a little bit though given how he seemed mostly interested in money. But we sure have come a long way.

One thing that was interesting to me was that often when black athletes protested in any way or got involved with politics, they tended to get less money or even lose their jobs. Whatever you think of Kaepernick, then, the accusation that he was protesting as a way to get attention and money seems either uninformed or disingenuous, at least from this reading.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stellar history of the relationship between African-Americans and Civil Rights. It is especially good at contextualizing the behavior and expectations of black Americans within the larger history of sports, and I can’t believe how widely it pulls while still feeling focused. The narration is solid.
My only complaint is that it focused almost entirely on those athletes who had something to do with Civil Rights (or in the case of a few, intentionally had nothing to do with Civil Rights). While with this approach is fantastic, I wish that the book extended out to talk about how those athletes changed their sports or advanced the game in different ways.
However, this shouldn’t come at the expense of the wonderful deep dive into black athleticism and civil rights. Rather, I find myself with the best critique you can receive - I just want more.

[Patrick Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually have to hope against all odds that an Audible original is going to be good, but fortunately this is one of those good ones. Highly informative, brief, and interesting, Moore gave a lot to digest in a comparatively short time. And that's my only complaint. I wanted more.

I wanted to know more details about 20th century African American athletes, particularly during the Civil Rights movement. Plus, I think a little too much attention was given to Jackie Robinson. He is obviously quite important to racial equality in American sports, but I felt like I was missing out on information regarding other players in the scene. In any event, still really good audiobook. I would highly suggest downloading it.

[Christine Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books I'd have never picked up, but it was free on Audible. And it was really good. I like sports, but I'm not particularly into them. But it was fascinating to learn more about the experience of being black in the United States from the 1800s until now through athletics. One can learn a lot about racism listening, but only the facts were presented without any opinion so the author wasn't pushing a certain opinion, but telling it like it is or was. It was narrated by Louis Moore who had a series of lectures going chronologically through time covering how black athletes first left their mark on different sports. It also has lectures on topics such a branding, leadership positions and athletes using and not using their platform to fight racism.

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

African American Athletes Who Made History by Louis Moore is a civil rights course through the lens of sports. Not a lot of groundbreaking territory is broken here, but this is a capable and brief introduction to twentieth century African American athletes. Most of the lectures take place in Segregation/Jim Crow era. There are a few athletes I thought would get a mention that don't, but that fits into the theme of this course being primarily a civil rights course. Professor Moore does a good job, and it was easy to listen to. I would have preferred a meatier treatment of the material. 4 hours is a bit too short to do a subject like this justice. If you're curious about it, I would give it a go. And if you have an audible account, I'm pretty sure its free too.

85/100

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding someone's story is central to creating connection between individuals. In our tribal times, where groups are abstracted to make crude political claims, Moore shares many stories of persistent individual effort to claim respect at least where the narrow rules of a sport make real equality approachable and undeniable. Moore builds a clear and meticulous precedent for the actions of many of today's athletes. Whether you agree with the actions of these athletes or not, knowing what these Americans have contributed to US athletic pride, success, and honor is well worth this quick read.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me so enthralled that I wished my commute was even longer so I could keep listening. Louis Moore introduced me to so many athletes I'd never heard of, and made their talents come to life in a way I'd never experienced before. Chapter 7 made me stop and listen to it twice--the stories of athletes in the 60's-70's responding to racism sounded so much like what is happening today (and as a child of the time, I can't believe I never put it together). When he gets to the current situation of athletes taking political stances, it's painful to realize that 50 years has gone by and we're still in the same place.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting mini-biography of a lot of Black athletes though American history. I knew very few of the names, since I don't follow sports much, but of course some of the athletes mentioned are household names and I would be surprised to find anyone in America who hadn't heard of them. Since I am not a sports fan, the reason I picked this one up was because of the race relations & racial justice aspect of it. This history did provide a lot of context for me about sports, and how it has been—both obviously and subtly—another area where segregation and privilege has hindered Black people from succeeding.

[Susan Flieder · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an informative class! I really appreciate the time and energy Mr. Moore put into researching and presenting this largely unknown part of our history. I wish it was all in the past, but as we know, African Americans still continue to suffer from police brutality, inequality and more. The recent events in Kenosha, WI are just one example; I was so heartened to see the response of major sports teams refusing to play in protest to the shooting of Jacob Blake, Jr. Thanks for your insight, Mr. Moore.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, free audible listen about African American sports figures and their fight for equality and social justice. It is told in chronological order and covers many different sports, including boxing, tennis, basketball, baseball, track & field and football, and many different sports figures, including boxers Joe Lewis and Mohammad Ali, tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, basketball stars Michael Jordan and LeBron James and baseball player Jackie Robinson. I had known most of the stories and history, but not all. Both educational and entertaining.

[Chad Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting notes on how African Americans participated in sports. On their own for fun, in their own leagues, in quasi-integrated leagues (often prohibited from competing directly against whites), and then in fully integrated teams. Racism has been a driving force every step of the way. It's sad how we still haven't overcome that today - and historically, how famous black athletes would represent the American flag and ideals of freedom and independence abroad, experiencing great respect, only to return to the US and face prejudice and harassment.

[Niniane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring audiobook that showed the long arc of justice.

I learned the progression of Black athletes along these stages:
1. discriminated against and not even allowed to compete.
2. could compete but extremely underpaid.
3. paid OK but not permitted to speak about injustice or become managers or coaches.
4. eventually they could do mass protests because they had enough power.

The most financially successful athletes are the ones who refused to speak up for the Black community. E.g. OJ Simpson. Michael Jordan. So they got lots of endorsements.

[Seth Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the progress and start of black athletics in the US. Most of the name were familiar to em, but certainly not all. Many of the ones I knew, as learned more about. It was interesting to learn that while players in the sports league became normal, black in leadership roles (managers and coaches) was far behind. We still have plenty of work to do!

Interesting read for anyone interested in the history of blacks in American athletics.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very interesting information relating to the lives of Black athletes from the slave-years to the present. The author has organized the history of African-American athletes chronologically and also grouped as to the overall circumstances of athletics for those of color. I believe it is a must-read for anyone into following sports today or who is interested in how race in sports has evolved.