Blacks at the Net : Black Achievement in the History of Tennis

by Djata, Sundiata

• ISBN13: 9780815608189
• ISBN10: 0815608187
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-01-31
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr

Summary

In this book, the first volume dedicated to the subject, Sundiata Djata explores obstacles to performance such as the discrimination that kept blacks out of pro tennis for decades. He examines the role that this white sport traditionally played in the black community. And he provides keen insights into the politics of professional sports and the challenges faced by today's black players. The work's eventual two volumes will cover identity and black tennis in aboriginal Australia, North and South Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Caveats	xiii
Introduction	xv
The American Tennis Association and the Early Years	1	(27)
Althea Gibson: ``The Jackie Robinson of Tennis''?	28	(14)
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World	42	(27)
A New Horizon	69	(19)
The Houston Triumvirate	88	(19)
The ``Post-Soul Era''	107	(35)
The Additional Burden of the Professional Black Player	142	(20)
Racism in Tennis	162	(37)
USTA Minority Participation	199	(17)
Conclusion	216	(17)
Appendixes
ATA Championship Singles	221	(3)
World Rankings of Black Players, 1979--1992	224	(2)
USTA Circuit Winners and Runners-Up	226	(3)
Some of the Best Matches by Black Players, 1957--2001	229	(3)
The Results of the First Annual Southern Tennis Championships, July 9--11, 1930	232	(1)
Notes	233	(28)
Glossary	261	(2)
Bibliography	263	(16)
Index	279