Charging the Net: A History of Blacks in Tennis from Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe to the Williams Sisters
With every powerful serve and deft ground stroke, with every graceful volley and determined charge to the net, black tennis players, from Hall of Famers Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Evonne Goolagong, and Yannick Noah to future legends James Blake and the sisters Venus and Serena Williams, have forced open the sport's shuttered gates and demanded to be acknowledged. In Charging the Net, Cecil Harris and Larryette Kyle-DeBose draw on personal interviews and extensive research to chronicle the...
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With every powerful serve and deft ground stroke, with every graceful volley and determined charge to the net, black tennis players, from Hall of Famers Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Evonne Goolagong, and Yannick Noah to future legends James Blake and the sisters Venus and Serena Williams, have forced open the sport's shuttered gates and demanded to be acknowledged. In Charging the Net, Cecil Harris and Larryette Kyle-DeBose draw on personal interviews and extensive research to chronicle the triumphs-and humiliations-of blacks in professional tennis from the 1940s to the present. For many fans and writers, Ashe, Gibson, and the Williams sisters personify black achievement in tennis, but others have made their mark. Charging the Net spotlights a wide range of competitors as well as the American Tennis Association, an organization that thrived despite racial segregation, thanks to such benefactors as Dr. R. Walter Johnson. The book will also introduce readers to two black officials whose success was short-lived; both have sued the United States Tennis Association, alleging discrimination based on race, gender, and age. Harlem-trained, Harvard-educated James Blake, who overcame career-threatening injuries to achieve World Top Ten status, has written a foreword to Charging the Net. The afterword is written by Robert Ryland, the first black to compete in a major college tournament, who later found the doors to tennis's premier venues marked Whites Only. With a clear vision, Ryland, the eighty-six-year-old coach, now looks at how far blacks in tennis have come and how far they have yet to travel.The New York Times Book ReviewA wide-ranging history, built on more than 65 interviews, that tells in-depth stories about the lives of black tennis stars.
Foreword James Blake viiIntroduction 3"There is no African-American culture in tennis" 9"I'm not going to be who you want me to be" 25"I'm not giving anything else away" 46"He was exactly who we needed at the time" 76"We were the only show in town" 106"You tell me what the similarity is" 124"It was as if God handed these two young girls to me" 140"Tennis is a family sport" 155"You niggers gotta get off the court" 169"Nobody called me names on the court, but nobody rooted for me either" 182"You could play the French Open and never really see Paris" 199"It's nice not to have to be a fly in milk" 211"We need you out here" 224Afterword 237ATA Singles Champions 239World-Ranked Black Tennis Players 244Bibliography 247Index 257
\ Tenessean.ComAn informative read on African-Americans in tennis....The overall impact produces a service ace. Charging the Net should be required reading for anyone concerned about the history of race in sport and the lack of diversity in tennis.\ \ \ \ \ Standard NewswireExplores the ongoing journey for black tennis players to force open the sport's shuttered gates....packed with historic information.\ \ \ Black Athlete Sports NetworkWorth reading.\ \ \ \ \ Midwest Book ReviewLively presentation blends civil rights issues with tennis....Top pick...for sports libraries [and] collection[s] strong in integration issues.\ \ \ \ \ Inside TennisLabor of love...document[s] a rich black tennis experience.\ \ \ \ \ ForecastHistorical account...describes the numerous contributions of and challenges overcome by specific figures.\ \ \ \ \ The Boston GlobeBefore and after Althea Gibson leaped the color bar, blacks were playing tennis—enthusiastically but largely unrecognized. Harris and Kyle-DeBose have done the game a service, deeply exploring the history of the triumphs, pains and pitfalls of the black experience.\ \ \ \ \ BooklistThis volume takes a more comprehensive approach to the subject and...carves a deserving place for itself in tennis literature.\ \ \ \ \ The New York TimesA wide-ranging history, built on more than 65 interviews, that tells in-depth stories about the lives of black tennis stars.\ \ \ \ \ January 2008 CHOICEthe authors weave a well-referenced log of the trials, tribulations, and challenges that have faced young black tennis stars...This is a book for those interested in sports, sport psychology, sport management, African American studies, and, of course, for all who follow tennis. Summing Up: Recommended.\ \ \ \ \ Daily CourierInteresting read for all avid sports enthusiasts....The lessons learned here need to stay vibrant in our minds.\ \ \ \ \ CHOICEThe authors weave a well-referenced log of the trials, tribulations, and challenges that have faced young black tennis stars....This is a book for those interested in sports, sport psychology, sport management, African American studies, and, of course, for all who follow tennis....Recommended.\ \ \ \ \ The Boston GlobeBefore and after Althea Gibson leaped the color bar, blacks were playing tennis--enthusiastically but largely unrecognized. Harris and Kyle-DeBose have done the game a service, deeply exploring the history of the triumphs, pains and pitfalls of the black experience.\ —Bud Collins\ \ \ \ \ BooklistThis volume takes a more comprehensive approach to the subject and....carves a deserving place for itself in tennis literature.\ —David Pitt\ \ \ \ \ The New York Times Book ReviewA wide-ranging history, built on more than 65 interviews, that tells in-depth stories about the lives of black tennis stars.\ \ \ \ \ The Daily CourierInteresting read for all avid sports enthusiasts....The lessons learned here need to stay vibrant in our minds.\ —Chris Howard\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalAdult/High School-Even for readers not familiar with the Williams sisters and their impact on tennis, this book could be a real treat. The title says it all. The detailed, yet highly accessible history of blacks in tennis from the 1940s to the present is also the story of the modern game from a new viewpoint. Players from Australia, Africa, and France are included, as well as African Americans. Through extensive research and interviews, the sometimes shameful behavior of the United States Tennis Association and the triumphs and continuous struggle of blacks to achieve equality in the predominantly white, often elitist tennis world are described with passion. This book will appeal to teens interested in black athletes' contributions to sports, in tennis generally, or in sports facts. It is well documented and may be read for pleasure or for assignments. It also portrays new role models for succeeding in sports and in life, while struggling with discrimination.-Deirdre Cerkanowicz, Berkeley Public Library, CA\ Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information\ \
