Young readers will find intriguing—if only surface-skimming—historical context for today’s controversial sports headlines.
Sports, race, and gender have often clashed in American life and created greater impact than any individual game’s outcome.
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit and then kneel during the national anthem in 2016 was certainly not the first time sports and race appeared to be on a collision course in America. This volume explores some of the chapters in this saga. African American heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson offended the racial sensibilities of the early 20th century simply by seeking a chance to become boxing’s champion. The struggles to integrate baseball and the challenges faced by African American athletes as they traveled during the Jim Crow era are described. Protests about the use of a team name considered to be a racial slur and the triumph of a female fencer who wore a hijab during the 2016 Olympic Games demonstrate how often societal concerns bleed into athletic events. Gender issues and sexual orientation in sports are addressed in the explosive case of sexual abuse in gymnastics and when gay athletes come out. This slim volume skims the surface of these complex topics, and young readers will need additional information to gain deeper understanding, although the large number of photographs is worth noting.
Young readers will find intriguing—if only surface-skimming—historical context for today’s controversial sports headlines. (source notes, glossary, select bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4094-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Essential.
A guidebook for taking action against racism.
The clear title and bold, colorful illustrations will immediately draw attention to this book, designed to guide each reader on a personal journey to work to dismantle racism. In the author’s note, Jewell begins with explanations about word choice, including the use of the terms “folx,” because it is gender neutral, and “global majority,” noting that marginalized communities of color are actually the majority in the world. She also chooses to capitalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous as a way of centering these communities’ voices; "white" is not capitalized. Organized in four sections—identity, history, taking action, and working in solidarity—each chapter builds on the lessons of the previous section. Underlined words are defined in the glossary, but Jewell unpacks concepts around race in an accessible way, bringing attention to common misunderstandings. Activities are included at the end of each chapter; they are effective, prompting both self-reflection and action steps from readers. The activities are designed to not be written inside the actual book; instead Jewell invites readers to find a special notebook and favorite pen and use that throughout. Combining the disruption of common fallacies, spotlights on change makers, the author’s personal reflections, and a call to action, this powerful book has something for all young people no matter what stage they are at in terms of awareness or activism.
Essential. (author’s note, further reading, glossary, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-18)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-4521-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality.
An examination of the history of Chinese American experiences.
Blackburn opens with a note to readers about growing up feeling invisible as a multicultural, biracial Chinese American. She notes the tremendous diversity of Chinese American history and writes that this book is a starting point for learning more. The evenly paced narrative starts with the earliest recorded arrival of the Chinese in America in 1834. A teenage girl, whose real name is unknown, arrived in New York Harbor with the Carnes brothers, merchants who imported Chinese goods and put her on display “like an animal in a circus.” The author then examines shifting laws, U.S. and global political and economic climates, and changing societal attitudes. The book introduces the highlighted people—including Yee Ah Tye, Wong Kim Ark, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and Vincent Chen—in relation to lawsuits or other transformative events; they also stand as examples for explaining concepts such as racial hierarchy and the model minority myth. Maps, photos, and documents are interspersed throughout. Chapters close with questions that encourage readers to think critically about systems of oppression, actively engage with the material, and draw connections to their own lives. Although the book covers a wide span of history, from the Gold Rush to the rise in anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic, it thoroughly explains the various events. Blackburn doesn’t shy away from describing terrible setbacks, but she balances them with examples of solidarity and progress.
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality. (resources, bibliography, image credits) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780593567630
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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