MORE Than Just a MONTH: Black History Matters

As I wrote during the early days of this blog, I have often felt ambivalent about BLACK HISTORY MONTH, since I've too often seen classrooms, even libraries, in which powerful picture books involving people and events and history of American Black culture are showcased during February, then virtually ignored for the rest of the year. in some cases even sorted back into "monthly tubs" for use when the following February rolls around. 

In a new reality in which governmental websites and agencies are having theme-month identities scrubbed from their programs and attention, my focus is to elevate and celebrate books that reveal the fullness of America (and then world), especially those stories and histories that have been denied, suppressed, and ignored.

Albert Whitman & Company

This is the last day of February, so I'm intentionally featuring a fantastic book that will lead right into MARCH MADNESS and then on throughout the year. It's about the history of professional basketball, and we all know that basketball as a LONG season, professionally and on courts for all ages throughout the year. (I'm a fan of basketball, but honestly was unaware of the important individuals and groups of Black men who made the sport what it is today.)

MORE THAN JUST A GAME: The Black Origins of Basketball, is written by Madison Moore and illustrated by Lonnie Ollivierre. This narrative starts with the awareness that more than 70% of NBA players are Black, but that was not always the case. The text is informative and well-paced, moving rapidly from the past to the present. The illustrations (starting with the cover!) splash across each double spread with the power and punch of actual games. After basketball was invented, it spread like wildfire, but in exclusively white spaces. (At that time, whether enforced openly in the South, or across the rest of the nation separation of white spaces from all others was universal). I was thrilled to learn that it was a Black gym teacher, Edwin Bancroft Henderson, introduced the sport to other teachers, who carried the news back to their students. The twist (I won't give it away) is the how and why that this introduction lacked space and opportunity to explode in the culture, and the unique way in which this hurdle, like so many other racial blockades, was overcome.

As the sport gained ground, the burgeoning NBA was whites-only, so a Black league developed, as with baseball history. That made total sense to me, but I was genuinely unaware of that side of sports history. What elevated the basic story was the seamless inclusion of remarkably talented individual player/leaders and recurring rivalries. In the vein of the boxer Joe Louis (The Brown Bomber) versus German Max Baer, the contests between all-white teams and teams from the Black league resulted in exposure to a wider audience, despite the multiple times when those contests revealed the superior play of the Black teams. 

The conclusion and back matter remind readers that knowing about this history is not enough. Many of the all-time record holders have not yet been admitted to the hall of fame or other basketball honors. These are outstanding players based on their own records, in comparison to any and all players. I urge everyone to read this and learn, then share it widely, providing it a space for public awareness that was once (and still is) limited.