A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the Afro-American Athlete, 1619-1918

Ebony, Feb, 1989

BACK in 1983, when former tennis great Arthur Ashe was asked to teach a course at Florida Memorial College entitled "The Black Athlete In Contemporary Society," he scoured libraries in search of an up-to-date history book that charted the astounding successes of Black Americans in sports. He found that the most current and comprehensive text available had been published 20 years before. As an author and former athlete, Ashe felt compelled to fill the void.

A Hard Road To Glory (Warner Books, $29.95 & $39.95) is Ashe's salute to the men and women who have made history on the nation's playing fields. It is a three-volume work that traces the emergence of the Black athlete from the 17th century to the present. Aiding Ashe is this monumental research effort was a seven-person team that combed public and university libraries, personal archives, and the closets, attics and basements of the families of sports legends to gather their material.

The result of this intense research which extended over a six-year period - is a detailed study of the Black American athlete. Comprised of more than 100 pictures and including interviews with some of the greatest figures in sports, A Hard Road To Glory is a loving tribute to the men and women who, despite discrimination, made rich contributions to America in and out of the nation's athletic arenas.