African Americans have played an increasingly significant role in the ongoing saga of American sports and, in certain fields, dominated international sporting events. For biographical information on American sport practised by people from these communities we already have several sources. Barnes (2004) in four volumes from Gale (1992‐) was recently reviewed in these columns (RR 2004/218). Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community has been issued by the Gale Group since 1992, is now up to volume 41, and has many entries for sports people. There is also Porter (1987‐1989) published by Greenwood Press with supplements and a cumulative index which bring the information up to date and which is also available online for the 1,450 entries on baseball players. Furthermore, Porter is planning to publish a biographical dictionary Latino and African American Athletes Today.
The title under review, surprisingly published in two volumes when the combined pagination only amounts to 440 plus indices, provides the reader with nearly 400 biographical entries, articles on the sports played by them, notes on four key teams in the history of American sport (the Harlem Globetrotters, the New York Pioneer Club, the New York Renaissance Five and the Pythian Base Ball [sic] Club), and detailed entries on significant organizations, cultural themes and social issues. The biographical entries, although written by contributors from a variety of academic institutions across the USA, all adopt the same approach. Dates of birth, and death where appropriate, are followed by a 250‐word description of the athlete's life and contribution to her or his sport. Every entry is concluded by a further reading list, mostly two or three items, but in the case of the great baseball pitcher “Smokey Joe” Williams, 11 books, articles and Web sites. Comparing entries with Contemporary Black Biography is interesting. Willy T. Ribbs, one of the few black racing drivers, in this title gets approximately 1,500 words, with sources quoted, a monochrome photograph and a summary box, whereas in African Americans in Sports he only warrants 210 words and no supporting material other than five items of further reading. Of perhaps more originality, the book's non‐biographical articles contribute much to its success; that on sportswriters reminds us that black journalists were constrained by limited resources and budgets, even occupying smaller office space and having little or no support staff. Most of them were writing about baseball, perhaps not surprisingly in view of the fact that it is supposedly America's most democratic of games, and it is only in the most recent two decades that black sportswriters have been appointed to significant positions in the major white newspapers.
Volume 2 of the work concludes with a useful chronological summary and an excellent 300‐item general bibliography. It also has an index of entries by sport, which graphically indicates how African Americans have made major and significant contributions to baseball, boxing, American football, and track and field events. With the role models provided by Tiger Woods in golf and the Williams sisters in tennis, we can look forward confidently to successful black athletes in many other sports during the twenty‐first century.
