Not the Triumph but the Struggle: The 1968 Olympics and the Making of the Black Athlete (Hardcover)

by Amy Bass (Author)
Key Phrases: black power action, between politics and sport, black power gesture, United States, South Africa, Mexico City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
During the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, track-and-field medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos defied the system by raising black-gloved fists at the flag as the "Star-Spangled Banner" was being played. Bass (history, Plattsburgh State Univ.) examines that protest, spotlighting the history of black athletes and media coverage of athletic events.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Jesse Owens. Muhammad Ali. Michael Jordan. Tiger Woods. All are iconic black athletes, as are Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the two African American track and field medalists who raised black-gloved fists on the victory dais at the Mexico City Olympics and brought all of the roiling American racial politics of the late 1960s to a worldwide television audience. But few of those viewers fully realized what had led to this demonstration-events that included the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., uprisings in American cities, student protests around the world, the rise of the Black Power movement, and decolonization and apartheid in Africa.

In this far-reaching account, Amy Bass offers nothing less than a history of the black athlete. Beginning with the racial eugenics discussions of the early twentieth century and their continuing reverberations in popular perceptions of black physical abilities, Bass explores ongoing African American attempts to challenge these stereotypes. In particular, she examines the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization that worked to mobilize black athletes in the 1960s and whose work culminated with the Mexico City protest.

Although Tommie Smith and John Carlos were reviled by Olympic officials for their demonstration, Bass traces how their protest has come to be the defining image of the 1968 Games, with lingering effects in the sports world and on American popular culture generally. She then focuses on images of black athletes in the post-civil rights era, a period characterized by a shift from the social commentary of Muhammad Ali to the entrepreneurial approach of Michael Jordan.

Ultimately Bass not only excavates the fraught history of black athleticism but also offers an incisive look at media coverage of athletic events-and the way sport is intimately bound up in popular constructions of the nation.

Amy Bass is assistant professor of history at Plattsburgh State University and worked as a member of the NBC research team for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games in 2002.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 438 pages
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816639442
• ISBN-13: 978-0816639441
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #708,836 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It changed the way I watch TV!, December 24, 2002

By A Customer

I learned so much from this book. I thought that it might be too hard to read, but it was worth it: I will never watch sports -- especially the Olympics -- the same way again. There's too much to list contained here: the Olympics, the media, race, sexuality, women -- it goes on and on. I think everyone should read it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delivers., March 17, 2005

By	Jilly "Jilly" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not the Triumph But the Struggle: 1968 Olympics and the Making of the Black Athlete (Paperback)

This book has the goods - it is very serious, not a typical sports book, but it teaches at every level. Civil Rights. Science. Women. Black Power. It is tough to think of what it leaves out. Starts slow, but really picks up and by the time it is done, it's like you've been watching PBS for two hours and didn't feel it. Learn.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much more than what you see on the cover, December 19, 2004

By	Kenny Masenda (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews

This book really helped to open my eyes about the events surrounding the 1968 Olympics. More than that, it also talks about many other significant issues such as women's roles during that time, the way certain people saw various events before, during, and after the times. Be prepared to be patient when you read this. Dr. Bass takes her time and goes way back with her research leading up to the games in the late 60's. There were some areas I was not too interested in, such as some scientists' claims that black superiority in the athletic arena is due to biological and genetic advantages. Yet there were other times in the book like when Tommie Smith explained the MEANING, the TRUE MEANING, behind he and Carlos' actions that really made me take it in and appreciate the courage they had to take a stand at that time on that particular stage. From the black socks to the scarf Smith wore on his neck to both of them not wearing shoes on the victory stand while the national anthem played. More than just discussing the Olympics, she digs deep into the perception of the black athlete, from the 1930's when Jesse Owens was the man to the 60's, and to the 90's with Michael Jordan. Like I said earlier though, be prepared to be patient when you are reading this. There were some parts that I had to bear with to get to what I wanted to read, but all in all, it's a read that can definitely challenge your views not only about the black athlete, but sports and life in general.