As Black athletes become increasingly aware of their power and influence in America, they require trustworthy sources of information to help them understand the broader context of the challenges Black people in America face and the Black athletes' role in addressing those problems. This book is an annotated bibliography that meets that need. The author has created a collection of readings and films he has developed over more than a decade of teaching about Black athletes' history and politics in America at Rutgers University. It is a collection of suggested readings with each listed text or documentary followed by a description of the work and why it is relevant to Black athletes today. The goal of this work is to 1) give Black athletes intellectual ammunition that they can use in their fight to assess and define their position in society accurately; 2) aid them in the prioritizing of the social, political, economic, and educational issues that they can affect; and 3) help them locate themselves in the history and tradition of leader athletes. It is the ideal starting point for Black athletes, their coaches, parents, and mentors who want to understand the full potential Black athletes have as agents of change.
