The book Chronicling Race, Sports, and Social Justice in the 21st Century by WURD sports host and award-winning journalist Chris Murray provides a look at social issues through the lens of the struggles athletes have faced over the years. As he writes: “It is often said sports is a reflection of the good and bad of American Society.”
Murray’s book provides a fuller picture than most sports fans get from watching and reading about the games. By reporting on historical events interposed with current issues, the book makes one thing abundantly clear: Challenging the bigotry and power of the wealthy owners is rarely appreciated in the moment but years later lauded as a great achievement.
The book is a collection of articles Murray has written over the years. He often places current events in a historical context, helping readers understand that overcoming bigotry at the start of the fight has never been seen as a positive action.
Tracing lines from Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the “color line” to the ceiling black NFL quarterbacks and coaches face forces readers to acknowledge progress is slow and never without sacrifice. The articles about the first wave of black NFL quarterbacks, Hall of Fame Warren Moon, who was forced to play in the Canadian League and win championships before being allowed to play in the NFL; Doug Williams, the first African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl; and the bizarre attacks on Philadelphia Eagles, African-American quarterback Donovan McNabb, for “not being black enough”, underscore people breaking the bigoted thinking, even today, suffer. Based on how society now thinks of Jackie Robinson, there is little doubt that in 25 years, the African-American quarterbacks who broke the colored ceiling will be lauded as Jackie Robinson now is. With the advent of Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl-winning African American quarterback and one of the greatest players playing, the issue of can an African-American play the position has been answered for all, except the racist bigots.
The issue of allowing African American coaches to become head coaches still remains open, as Murray highlights in his articles about the barriers. While noting the advances, his book doesn’t “sugarcoat” the reality. Murray calls on all of us to be better tomorrow than we are today and bravely risks alienating his “sources” by calling the powers that be into account. “So NFL owners, spare us your piety, your diversity PSAs, and your performances of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before games until you start putting your money where your mouth is as it pertains to your coaching and General Manager ranks”.
In the historical and current telling of breaking the race ceilings, Murray’s writing leaves uses sports to raise issues that average workers and students face today. In the historic reporting of baseball player Curt Flood’s fight to control his future by challenging the “reserve clause” that stopped athletes from being free agents, Murray foreshadows the fight over “non-compete clauses in workers contracts that stop workers from leaving one company and going to another. His exposure to the lack of value of the IQ testing used as a cudgel against African-American quarterbacks raises the issues of high-stakes testing for students across America.
The book expands many sports fans’ concepts of civil rights. Murray takes on ‘homophobia” in a way that only an award-winning African American sports writer can: “For fear of violence, discrimination being shunned by friends and family, gays and lesbians have had to cover up who they are. The torture and death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 was eerily similar to that of Emmitt Till in 1955 . . . For all the things we have been fighting for in terms of our struggle for equality, we now have the never to put a “scarlet letter” on another group fighting for their rights? The African-American community and the Gay community should be allies.
The book speaks to both occasional sports fans, like myself, and those who follow the teams season in and season out. The occasional sports fan learns the rich history and importance of “stars” in advancing society. To the sports fans, the in-depth look at the history gives context to today’s headlines.
Of course, Murray’s championing of women’s sports and highlighting the excitement and joy of watching women play water polo and hockey to the more traditional track and field and basketball gives us all something more to enjoy.
Any book that adds to our knowledge and enjoyment and tells a rich history in short, easy-to-digest chapters is worth reading and easy to recommend
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