A People's History of Sports in the United States: 250 Years of Politics, Protest, People, and Play

From colonial village greens to Depression-era boxing rings buzzing like fireflies at dusk, sports in the United States have always been a speedway where power and protest collide—and Dave Zirin’s riotous chronicle revs that history to life. He spotlights places from Moses Fleetwood Walker’s 19th-century ballparks, where the Black catcher packed a revolver to fend off racist hecklers, to the “Counter Olympics” staged during the 1930s economic free-fall when a third of the athletes were African American and hungry for inclusion. Alongside larger-than-game figures like Jackie Robinson, Zirin himself—Edge of Sports blogger and myth-buster—threads 250 years of pop-culture drama through every whistle blast, showing how Racial Justice, Economic Justice, and Political Justice sprint down the same sideline. Each vivid play pulls you into eras when segregated stands cracked open, when athletes’ fists rose higher than trophies, and when fans learned that every pop fly can double as a political flare. After this whirlwind tour you’ll never hear a halftime cheer the same way—and you might just lace up to join the next fight for fairness. Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to this game-changing saga.