In the initial half of the twentieth century, Ozzie Simmons, Jack Trice, and Johnny Bright played college football for three Iowa institutions: the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Drake University, respectively. At a time when the irresistible majority of their opponents and teammates were white, the three men, all African American, tolerated serious injuries on the gridiron due to foul play, either because of their race, their talents, or, most likely, an unpleasant combination of the two. Moments of Impact, (PDF) tells their stories and examines how the local communities of which they were once a part have overlooked and remembered those assaults over time. Of specific interest are the ways those memories have been articulated in a number of commemorations, including a trophy, a stadium name, and the dedication of a football field.
Jaime Schultz emphases on the racial and historical circumstances of the careers of Simmons, Trice, and Bright as well as the politics and processes of cultural memory. Schultz develops the concept of “racialized memory”—a communal form of remembering instilled with racial significance—to suggest that the racial politics of modern America have generated a need to redress historical wrongs, congratulate Americans on the apparent racial progress they have made, and divert attention from the unrelenting persistence of ideological and structural racism.
Reviews
“Well researched and well written, this important and readable ebook offers much to ponder.” — S. K. Fields, CHOICE
“Moments of Impact is an outstanding book that American cultural, sport, and public historians should be aware of.” — Matt Follett, Sport in American History
“A significant contribution to the field, and should be used by the rest of us as a model for socially engaged and theoretically refined historical analysis.” — Malcolm Maclean, Sport in History
“Moments of Impact provides important historical, sporting reflections on racialized memory, highlighting the cultural significance of collective remembrance and the harms caused by allowing people to forget.” — Daniel Burdsey, Ethnic and Racial Studies
NOTE: The product only includes Moments of Impact: Injury, Racialized Memory, and Reconciliation in College Football in PDF. No access codes are included
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