A new book looks at the history of black athletes in Britain to mark Black History Month
Peter Lovesey, a member of the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS), has written a new book about the history of black sports in Britain. Peter has written on athletics for over 50 years, including numerous articles Athletics Weekly.
To mark this year’s Black History Month, he has compiled a history of black athletes in Britain, showing how athletics has evolved into one of the most diverse and inclusive sports.
In the earliest days of sports, newspapers often wrote about a black man or woman taking on an athletic challenge as if that were news enough in itself, without revealing who they were or where they came from. The black population of Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries cannot be precisely calculated, but it is safe to say that black athletes were extremely rare, even allowing that most would have appeared in the newspapers.
This book is an attempt to identify some who have made news in the hope that it may encourage others to discover more.
The stories of 36 pioneers, from Levi Baldwin in 1805 to international sprinter Ethel Scott in the 1920s, are as entertaining and surprising as a glance through the index promises. Who could resist the stag’s foot, the “Go as I please” man, the black trumpeter, the ebon apparition, the retrograde pedestrian, or the man who fought Ivan the Terrible?
The story of Jack London, a double medalist at the 1928 Olympics, “an outstanding example of unrealized talent,” reveals elements of his personality that explain why he was a disappointment to anyone who tried to train him.
You can buy the book here – nuts.org.uk: and read more about Peter here – peterlovesey.com:
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