Charles H. Martin

A new deal for Blacks : the emergence of civil rights as a national issue

In Search of Democracy : The NAACP Writings of James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, and Roy Wilkins (1920-1977) The NAACP Writings of James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, and Roy Wilkins (1920-1977), Sondra Kathryn Wilson Associate of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute Harvard University, Jul 9, 1999, Social Science, 544 pages. This collection of writings offers a glimpse into the minds of three N.A.A.C.P. leaders who occupied the center of black thought and action during some of the most troublesome.

Race and sport : the struggle for equality on and off the field

Even before the desegregation of the military and public education and before blacks had full legal access to voting, racial barriers had begun to fall in American sports. This collection of essays shows that for many African Americans it was the world of athletics that first opened an avenue to equality and democratic involvement. Race and Sport showcases African Americans as key figures making football, baseball, basketball, and boxing internationally popular, though inequalities still exist today. Among the early notables discussed is Fritz Pollard, an African American who played professional football before the National Football League established a controversial color barrier. Another, the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, exemplifies the black American athlete as an international celebrity. African American women also played an important role in bringing down the barriers, especially in the early development of womens basketball. In baseball, both African American and Hispanic players faced down obstacles and entered the sports mainstream after World War II. One essay discusses the international spread of American imperialism through sport. Another shows how mass media images of African American athletes continue to shape public perceptions. Although each of these six essays explores a different facet of sports in America, together they comprise an analytical examination of African American societys tumultuous struggle for full participation both on and off the athletic field.

All Guts and No Glory: An Alabama Coach's Memoir of Desegregating College Athletics (review)

Editor John C. Carter, a McClellan descendent, does an exemplary job of compiling letters from family collections in Tennessee and collections at the University of Chapel Hill, Duke University, and Limestone County archives to present an extremely well-rounded portrayal of the war’s impact on McClellan, his family, and neighbors. Most of the collection dates from the first two years of the war, and readers will likely wish that more of the correspondence from later years survived, but the editor makes careful note of disruptions that may have interfered with the correspondence, including McClellan’s long-awaited furlough in December 1863. The introductions to each of the eleven chapters provide an overview of military and political events during McClellan’s service and do much to remedy the regrettable lapses in the letters. Five appendices present additional information on the Ninth Alabama Infantry, including casualties, rosters, and McClellan’s service record. More than sixty pages of annotations provide valuable information for historians and genealogists alike, while the four maps and comprehensive bibliography serve as important resources. The editor and the University of Alabama press should be commended for producing this compelling and comprehensive volume. It is a welcome addition to the published resources on Alabama’s Civil War experience and it is of clear value to all readers interested in Confederate soldiers’ experiences.