Gregory J. Kaliss
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781604737516
- eISBN:
- 9781604737523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781604737516.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sport and Leisure
This chapter discusses Wilt Chamberlain’s racial politics, which hounded his image as a college basketball player. Chamberlain’s enlistment in the University of Kansas at Lawrence sparked hope for ...
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This chapter discusses Wilt Chamberlain’s racial politics, which hounded his image as a college basketball player. Chamberlain’s enlistment in the University of Kansas at Lawrence sparked hope for the black community across the U.S., which expected him to show the university that segregation of blacks and whites is morally and ethically wrong as well as showing that blacks are not inferior to whites through basketball excellence. It notes that his decision to leave the university for the Harlem Globetrotters cast him in a different light in his own school, where he was viewed as a money-grabbing opportunist. Additionally, Chamberlain’s neutrality stance over the issue of the civil rights movement also alienated him from his fellow black Americans, angry and frustrated at his inaction in the civil rights cause.Less
This chapter discusses Wilt Chamberlain’s racial politics, which hounded his image as a college basketball player. Chamberlain’s enlistment in the University of Kansas at Lawrence sparked hope for the black community across the U.S., which expected him to show the university that segregation of blacks and whites is morally and ethically wrong as well as showing that blacks are not inferior to whites through basketball excellence. It notes that his decision to leave the university for the Harlem Globetrotters cast him in a different light in his own school, where he was viewed as a money-grabbing opportunist. Additionally, Chamberlain’s neutrality stance over the issue of the civil rights movement also alienated him from his fellow black Americans, angry and frustrated at his inaction in the civil rights cause.
Michael Ezra
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252037610
- eISBN:
- 9780252094859
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252037610.003.0012
- Subject:
- Sociology, Sport and Leisure
In this chapter, the author recounts his journey from antagonism for University of Kansas (KU) basketball to appreciation and pride. Thanks to superb mentoring and his own maturation, the author ...
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In this chapter, the author recounts his journey from antagonism for University of Kansas (KU) basketball to appreciation and pride. Thanks to superb mentoring and his own maturation, the author realizes that some of the values he learned as an American studies graduate student—community building, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence—explain the locals' commitment to and love for the Kansas Jayhawks. The author recalls the time he matriculated to KU, which is located in Lawrence, after living his first twenty-two years in New York, and how his initial misgivings about the school was replaced by eight years of fondness for the place he proudly called home. He then explains how he came to appreciate the significance of mentorship in his own life, at the same time that his attitude toward the KU basketball program softened and he became grateful for all its accomplishments. According to the author, his case illustrates how sport, community, and identity can be interconnected.Less
In this chapter, the author recounts his journey from antagonism for University of Kansas (KU) basketball to appreciation and pride. Thanks to superb mentoring and his own maturation, the author realizes that some of the values he learned as an American studies graduate student—community building, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence—explain the locals' commitment to and love for the Kansas Jayhawks. The author recalls the time he matriculated to KU, which is located in Lawrence, after living his first twenty-two years in New York, and how his initial misgivings about the school was replaced by eight years of fondness for the place he proudly called home. He then explains how he came to appreciate the significance of mentorship in his own life, at the same time that his attitude toward the KU basketball program softened and he became grateful for all its accomplishments. According to the author, his case illustrates how sport, community, and identity can be interconnected.
