Black Mercuries

"An essential source on African American athletes and Olympic history." —Booklist, Starred Review This book chronicles the struggles and triumphs of both legendary and little-known African American athletes in the Modern Olympic Games, from 1896 through the 2020 Tokyo Games.

David K. Wiggins is professor emeritus of sport studies at George Mason University. The author of many books, book chapters, and scholarly articles, his publications center primarily on the interconnection among race, sport, and American culture. Included among his books are Glory Bound: Black Athletes in a White America and More than a Game: A History of the African American Experience in Sport. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology, currently Editor-in-Chief of Kinesiology Review, and past president of the North American Society for Sport History.

Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction 1. Pioneering Black Mercuries: African American Olympians, 1896-1920 2. Black Mercuries in the Jazz Age 3. Black Mercuries in the Turbulent 1930s 4. Black Mercuries and the Dawning of the Cold War 5. Black Mercuries in the Age of Protest 6. Black Mercuries in the Age of Boycotts 7. Black Mercuries in the Immediate Post-Cold War Period 8. Black Mercuries During the Age of Globalization 9. Black Mercuries Shine in Rio and Tokyo Notes Bibliographic Essay Index About the Authors