A Hard Road to Glory, Volume 2 (1919-1945): A History of the African-American Athlete
About this audiobook
“The most comprehensive reference source on African-American athletes yet compiled.”—San Francisco Chronicle
With a Foreword by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Available once again for a new generation of readers, the second volume in Arthur Ashe’s epic trilogy that chronicles the remarkable legacy of Black athletes in the United States—a major addition to our understanding of American history and the fulfillment of this legendary sports star and global activist’s lifelong dream.
When tennis great Arthur Ashe first published his A Hard Road to Glory trilogy, this ambitious project was the first of its kind, a milestone in the presentation of United States social history. A Hard Road to Glory Volume 2, carries on the little-known full story of Black athletes and their contributions to American sports and culture.
Volume 2 covers America’s “Golden Age” of sports from the end of World War One to the end of World War Two, from to 1919–1945. It was a time when the feats of legends such as Babe Ruth, Red Grange, and Jack Dempsey shone brightly—and segregation reigned supreme. Racial restrictions led to the formation of independent Black organizations, which saw its own share of extraordinary stars. Meanwhile, a number of great Black athletes, including Jesse Owens and Joe Louis, became sports heroes admired by millions worldwide.
Today, Black athletes and Black women in particular are receiving more visibility than ever for their unparalleled, world record-breaking excellence, their activism, and their leadership and vision. Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Naomi Osaka are consistently elevating athletics and are reshaping the way we think about sports, excellence, society, and history.
Arthur Ashe paved the way for them all; A Hard Road to Glory is fundamental to our understanding of Black athletes and our nation’s past, present, and future. Now more than ever, this collection is one of this amazing icon’s greatest legacies—a treasure to be celebrated by readers today and those to come.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
About the author
Throughout his twenty-year tennis career, Arthur Ashe won some of the most coveted singles championship titles in tennis: Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open and the World Cup Team Finals. Aside from Yannick Noah, he remains the only Black man to have won a Grand Slam title. Ashe was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Team from 1963 to 1970, and in 1975, 1976, and 1978; as its captain, he led the team to victories in 1981 and 1982. He was a member of the U.S. World Cup Team from 1970 to 1976, and in 1979. Not only a singularly talented athlete, Ashe was also a vocal champion for human rights across the globe and marched against South African apartheid and protested against the mistreatment of Haitian refugees. He retired from professional tennis in 1980, and went on to become National Campaign Chairman for the American Heart Association and the only nonmedical member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Advisory Council. Ashe contracted HIV from a blood transfusion in 1983, and later founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Year in 1992: “Arthur Ashe epitomizes good works, devotion to family and unwavering grace under pressure.” He died in New York City on February 6, 1993. Ashe was married to fine art photographer Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, the author of Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers. They lived in New York City with their daughter Camera.
