24th and Glory: The Intersection Between Civil Rights and Omaha's Greatest Generation of Athletes by Dirk Chatelain, History Nebraska partnered with Omaha World Herald, Omaha Nebraska, 2019.
This book is a great read and it partners two topics I love, civil rights and sports. It is incredible that so many premier athletes came from the same neighborhood. This book mentions seven, but talks about many more. These seven were all mentioned by the Omaha World Herald as part of the top 100 athletes from Omaha, 1. Bob Gibson, 2. Gale Sayers, 4 Bob Boozer, 5. Johnny Rodgers, 17. Marlin Briscoe, 26. Ron Boone, 36. Roger Sayers. These athletes participated in multiple sports in high school. Three made their names in football, two in basket ball, one in baseball and one in track and field. Two were brothers who played football together, but the younger brother became and elite running back.
Most were influenced by Josh Gibson, the older brother of Bob Gibson. Josh was not allowed to coach at a public schools because of his race, so he turned to youth recreational sports where he excelled at creating athletes.
Six of the seven athletes in the book were from the North Omaha, Logan Fontenelle housing area. They attended either Central or Tech high schools. One grew up in the housing project in South Omaha and attended South Omaha High School.
But this book is more than a story of athletes. It weaves in the story of segregation and civil rights. Many in the African Community found their way to Omaha to work in the meat packing industry which was a trolley care ride away from North Omaha. Politics did not allow for Blacks to live where they chose but the only housing available was in North Omaha. It was many years before Nebraska passed laws to outlaw discrimination in housing. This book delves into that process.
I highly recommend this book. It tells many excellent stories about the athletes and about civil rights.
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