[...] Rhoden's theory is that integration, which has eroded cohesion in the black community, and commodification mean that black athletes still have very little power compared with white owners and coaches. What Rhoden really deplores, though, is not that some black athletes make amazing amounts of money while others don't: He wants readers to understand how dissociated many successful black athletes are from black society, how disconnected they are from politics, power and team ownership. He contrasts this with an African American sporting culture in the first half of the 20th century — which was a solidarity movement, in a sense, with Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson battling foes "for the race" and black people all over the nation listening intently, cheering not just for a particular athlete, but for themselves. [...]
| Novelist Susan Straight's CalendarLive review "Body and soul" assays William C. Rhoden's "Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete"
posted in articles on July 10, 2006 2:36 PM | t (0)
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As a gool ol' (54) white boy, I must say this is an important insight. However, I live in an integrated neighborhood, and my Black neighbors are VERY connected to our Black community.
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