Passing the Baton: Black Women Track Stars and American Identity

250 Pages·2020·9.117 MB·English

by  Cat M. Ariail

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SPORT AND SOCIETY t
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Series Editors
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Aram Goudsouzian h
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Jaime Schultz
Founding Editors
Benjamin G. Rader
Randy Roberts
A list of books in the series appears at the end of this book.
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Black WAmomeernic Tarna cIdke Snttairtys
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CAT M. ARIAIL
© 2020 by the Board of Trustees
of the University of Illinois
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ariail, Cat M., 1987– author.
Title: Passing the baton : black women track stars and
American identity / Cat M. Ariail.
Other titles: Sprints of citizenship.
Description: Urbana : University of Illinois Press,
[2020] | Series: Sport and society | Revision of
author’s thesis (doctoral)—University of Miami,
2018, titled Sprints of citizenship : black women
track stars and the making of modern citizenship
in the United States and Jamaica, 1946–1964. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: lccn 2020023704 (print) | lccn
2020023705 (ebook) | isbn 9780252043482
(hardcover) | isbn 9780252085383 (paperback) |
isbn 9780252052361 (ebook)
Subjects: lcsh: African American women track and
field athletes—History—20th century. | African
American women track and field athletes—Social
conditions. | African American women—Race
identity. | African American women—Social
conditions. | Track and field for women—United
States—History—20th century. | Discrimination
in sports—United States—History—20th century.
| United States—Race relations—History—20th
century.
Classification: lcc gv1060.6 .a82 2020 (print) | lcc
gv1060.6 (ebook) | ddc 796.42082—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020023704
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/
2020023705
For Ace and Ed

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Raising the Bar: Alice Coachman and the Boundaries
of Postwar American Identity, 1946–1948 12
2 Sprints of Citizenship: Identity Politics and
Black Women’s Athleticism, 1951–1952 46
3 Passing the Baton toward Belonging: Mae Faggs
and the Making of the Americanness of Black
American Track Women, 1954–1956 81
4 Winning as American Women: The Heteronormativity
of Black Women Athletic Heroines, 1958–1960 115
5 “Olympian Quintessence”: Wilma Rudolph, Athletic
Femininity, and American Iconicity, 1960–1962 139
Conclusion. The Precarity of the Baton Pass: Race, Gender,
and the Enduring Barriers to American Belonging 165
Notes 175
Bibliography 209
Index 223

Acknowledgments
A relay race metaphor serves as an apt metaphor for a book project. Although
one person breaks the tape to triumph, the result is the product of a collective
effort. The list of those who deserve credit for this victory begins with Dr.
Don Spivey. When I entered the PhD program at the University of Miami in
the fall of 2013, there was no way that I could imagine how fortunate I would
be to work under Dr. Spivey. He was the epitome of an excellent adviser, or
coach, offering wise and insightful guidance yet always insisting that I make
the final decisions.
This book project built on the paper produced in a two-semester research
and writing seminar with Dr. Kate Ramsey. Kate then remained the kindest
critic, asking conscientious, careful questions. Much appreciation also to Drs.
Robin Bachin and Marvin Dawkins, who made time in their already too-busy
schedules to also offer commentary on my research. And, of course, a huge
shout out to Drew and Stephanie, our unconventional little cohort. I miss
our powwows about writing, research, teaching, and our love-hate relation-
ship with South Florida. From Miami, I was fortunate to find support for this
project from the folks at the University of Illinois Press. Danny Nasset, as well
as the Sport and Society series editors, Jaime Schultz and Aram Goudsouzian,
have helped make the book writing process painless, even enjoyable. I am also
grateful for the thoughtful commentary provided by my readers, especially the
incredibly detailed suggestions and questions from Dr. Katherine Mooney.