Sports
Books: Fiction
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
Book – Fiction. 96 pages. 2007. By James Sturm and Rich Tommaso with an introduction by Gerald Early.
Told from the point of view of a sharecropper, this narrative in graphic novel format follows baseball champion Satchel Paige as he travels throughout the segregated South.
Books: Non-Fiction
Caribbean Connections: The Dominican Republic
Book – Non-fiction and Fiction. Edited by Gallin, Glasser, Santana. 2005. 250 pages.
Reader-friendly overview of the history, politics and culture of the fourth largest Latino community in the United States.
Art & Music, Immigration, Latino, Sports, US Foreign Policy, Women's History, World History/Global Studies
The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World
Book – Non-fiction. By John Carlos and Dave Zirin. Foreword by Cornel West. 2011. 220 pages.
Written for grades 7+, this biography of John Carlos recounts his childhood, his legendary act of courage at the ’68 Olympics, and the backlash.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity, Sports
Muhammad Ali Handbook
Book – Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. 2007. 431 pages.
A journey through Muhammad Ali’s sports, religious, and political journey including his involvement in anti-Vietnam war protest and the Civil Rights Movement.
A People’s History of Sports in the United States
Book – Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. 2009. 302 pages. High school and up.
U.S. history through the lens of sports.
A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson
Book – Nonfiction. By Michelle Y. Green. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. 2004. 128 pages.
A biography on one of only three women to play baseball in the Negro Leagues.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Book – Non-fiction. By Kadir Nelson. 2008. 96 pages.
The story of Negro League baseball, in text and stunning imagery.
Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports
Book – Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. Foreword by Chuck D. 2007. 258 pages.
Essays on sports and politics.
Films
Chávez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story
Film. By Jordan Mechner. 2004. 26 minutes.
A documentary about the politics and economics of land in the U.S., based on the story of a Mexican American village razed in the 1950s to build Dodger Stadium.
Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports
Film. By Dave Zirin and Jeremy Earp. 2010. 62 minutes.
Film documentary for 6th grade to adult based on the bestselling book “A People’s History of Sports in the United States.”
African American, Media, Racism & Racial Identity, Sports, Women's History
When We Were Kings
Film. Directed by Leon Gast. 1996. 89 minutes.
Documentary about the famous heavyweight championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Picture Books
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Book – Non-fiction. By Kadir Nelson. 2008. 96 pages.
The story of Negro League baseball, in text and stunning imagery.
Songs and Poems
Chavez Ravine: a record by Ry Cooder
Songs. By Ry Cooder. 2005.
The story of the Chicano community bulldozed to pave the way for the Dodger Stadium in Santa Monica, told through bilingual songs.
Elegy for Peter Norman
Poem by Josh Healey. From Hammertime. 2008.
Poem in text and audio about Peter Norman, the white athlete in the iconic photo of the ’68 Olympics.
Spanish/Bilingual
Chavez Ravine: a record by Ry Cooder
Songs. By Ry Cooder. 2005.
The story of the Chicano community bulldozed to pave the way for the Dodger Stadium in Santa Monica, told through bilingual songs.
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