And Redemption of the Black Athlete - The Rise

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete

by journalist William C. Rhoden gives a no-holds barred, unadulterated low-down about highly paid black athletes and the juxtaposition of slavery. How did Rhoden come to the conclusion that most Black athletes are highly paid slaves? He starts off methodically detailing the history of African Americans sports dating back to the plantation when slaves were a commodity; property to be used for entertainment as well as labor. Plantation owners would stage fights between slaves from different plantations as weekend amusement. Slaves also became jockeys to plantation owners who owned horses. This became a lucrative business and Black jockeys earned huge payoffs for their owners as well as for themselves on into Reconstruction and into the early 1900s. Blacks dominated horse racing but they were literally squeezed out of the market by greed, jealousy and blatant racism.

Rhoden also details the rise and fall of the Negro Leagues and the tragedy of Arthur "Rube" Foster, who sacrificed everything in the 1930s to organize Black ownership of baseball teams and to give due respect to black baseball players who were unable to play in the major leagues. Ironically, integration saw the end of the Negro Leagues when prime players such as Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige went to the majors. Rhoden goes on to chronicle the early days of football and basketball. He recounts pioneers in both fields, including Paul Robeson of Rutgers and Raymond Chester of Morgan State and then the Oakland Raiders. It was not until the early 1970s that Southern colleges began recruiting Black football players; at one time the NBA was almost all-white.

Rhoden contends that our young Black athletes, high school, college and professional, lack knowledge of their history in general, and the history of African Americans in sports, in particular. He cites this disconnect for not only the negative, destructive behavior that many of them indulge in but the apathy and lack of political noninvolvement and racial pride. Where are the young Muhammad Alis? But it is the Benjamins that are the prize at the end of the day. Poor inner-city or southern rural Black kids who show exceptional athletic talent become a victim of the "Conveyor Belt." A system, by which they are prepped, coddled and many times exploited at early ages on into high school and college with the main goal to snag the million dollar contracts and lucrative endorsement deals. Who would not want this? But at what cost? Even with all the money Black athletes command, there is still a lacking in coaching, those in top management and almost nil in Black team ownership with the exception of Robert Johnson of the Charlotte Bobcats. Also notable are the few African American sports journalists working to shape and control our image and the lack of exposure to Black agents, attorneys and other specialists to these new multimillionaires.

Kellen Winslow Sr., now an attorney, was a former college football star and played pro for several years and is now in the Hall of Fame. Because he went through the Conveyor Belt, he was able to advocate for his son, Kellen Jr. when the college scouts came courting. He speaks candidly about how college scouts will try to divide the child and parents. He refused to let this happen, often butting heads with his son over where he would go to college. Winslow maintains though that most Black kids do not have a parent, most specifically a father, who will run interference in these matters.

One of the most profound chapters is "The River Jordan: The Dilemma of Neutrality."

Rhoden shows disappointment, hurt, an almost aversion to the beloved Michael Jordan. Jordan's apathy towards Black causes and his neutral stance was a topic of debate when Marcus Book Club met to discuss this book. The members however, came to the agreement that to whom much is given, much is expected and cited Magic Johnson and Dikembe Mutombo as excellent examples of those giving back to their communities. This book is a must-read, especially for young people, both young men and young women and their parents. The history is invaluable and the subject is timely. This is a keeper in one's African American library.

Dera R. Williams

Marcus Book Club (Oakland)

APOOO BookClub

This book should be read by all families of athletes so they can be educated about different kinds of slavery that are still going on in the USA. It is also a great way to learn about many athletes from 50 years ago. The book opens your eyes about how sports agents, the media and the owners of these professional sports team manipulate athletes so they can make as much money as possible. It also shows how the successful athletes aren't as involved in giving back to their communities as they could be and until this changes, the slavery will continue.

This book enunciates the problems in graduation from the inner city
into the big leagues. Historically, by the late 1890s, black athletes
excelled at an ever increasing rate. Despite the progress made,
the profile of the black athlete stands at the periphery of power
in the sports establishment. This has lead to the loss of an overall
mission, although the psychological armor remains in the achievements
of the black athletes over the years. The author states that the
plantation slaves performed great physical labor. Prior to the 1970s,
segregation was a significant limiting factor. Sojourner Truth
worked on behalf of the black women of the time. Today, there are
multiple tiers of blacks in America. The book provides some very
important historical background; however, the next step is to
turn the capital acquired from the sports into personal wealth .
In addition, an athlete's physical stamina remains until the
mid-30s or early 40s. What does an athlete do when his/her career
has peaked athletically? The book could discuss this aspect in more
depth. For instance, black athletes could graduate into their
own businesses or attend college/further study to branch out into
other careers/ventures. Another important issue regards how the
black athlete invests money for the future.

Overall, the book provides an important perspective relevant to the
black history of athletes in the various sports. As such, it is
a valuable addition to American History in the sports arena.

What a terrific book! Rhoden does his homework and writes a detailed, provocotive history of sports in America and African Americans' unique role in shaping that history. It's important for today's athletes and fans to remember the black sports heroes that "history" forgot: Isaac Murphy, the most celebrated horse racing jockey in the late 1800s, a time when Blacks dominated the sport; Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League and a sports/black entrepreneur with a vigor unrivaled in the 20th century; Curt Flood, the first to challenge baseball's Reserve Clause and start the push for player control and free agency. It is equally important to take note of how Blacks were systematically pushed out of professional sports around the turn of the century, then had their own thriving institutions (HBCUs, Negro Leagues) appropriated and plundered by the dominant white industries when integration came about.

Though this history is painful, it may help to be conscious of it when attempting to reform modern day systems and institutions. Rhoden lays all the facts on the table for you. He only falls short when making recommendations for the future. His suggestion is that black athletes today should organize effectively and unite in the "struggle," a vague term that connotes the fight for control and power, not just wealth. Some questions not addressed in this book, but which a careful reader will no doubt seek answers to are: What off-the-field goals drive and motivate the professional athlete? How prevalent is the desire in the athlete to become a team owner or social change agent? If not athletes, who will be drawn to the ranks of the "new ownership" Rhoden advocates for? How does the history of post-slavery black labor mirror the sports industry? What is the nature of black business and entrepreneurship over time - does it too parallel the black experience in the sports industry? In the wake of Robert Johnson's sale of BET to Viacom, what is the nature of black "corporate responsibility" to some social mission in addition to the bottom line? Is a White-ally style of corporate responsibility able to achieve some of the reforms that the book advocates for? How does public education tie into the "conveyor belt" that mine's black talent from the inner city? What are education and other public and private institutions' roles in helping to reach the "promised land" that Rhoden refers to frequently but never quite defines? How can sports catalyze change for the African American community and other disenfranchised groups?

Check this book, and come up with some questions of your own. It's worth your time. Then, bug Rhoden and get him to write the sequel!

Rhoden examines how today's Black athletes, with all of their wealth and status, are just another type of slave, with the playing fields being today's plantation. A good history lesson is found here, in addition to the author's ideas about how today's Black athletes should collectively unite for a stronger presence in sports organizations, not just from the player side, but as far as management/ownership is concerned. Rhoden gives us brief glimpses into the stories of Black athletes like Tom Molineaux, Rube Foster, Lusia Harris, and relates their impact on sports. Of course, no book about sports would be complete without a piece on Michael Jordan. This is a very informative read. Well worth an addition to your library.

This book was one of the most informative books about Blacks in sports. It illustrates how many of these black athletes went from the slave plantation to the sport arenas. The only difference of a black male and a black professional athlete is their status: money, wealth, etc. Many of the Black Athletes came from poor backgrounds and they are living in up.

Many of them forgot who fought for them to be where there are: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Medgar Evers. Many of these Athletes are rich, they feel immune to their former communities because they made it on their god given gifts.

Michael Jordan has been dubbed the greatest basketball player who ever lived, Yet, he was used by Wizards owner Abe Pollin and then fired when he hung up his sneakers for the third time. It goes to show you, no matter what you did the past, they will let you know, who you are and we will put youy in your place.

I had to read this book for econimics class, while i didnt see what this book had to do with economics (probably because I am not a comprehensive reader) it told tales of the stuggle of colored athletes. The book described African American athletes who sufferd from inequality and discrimmination of their skin. The book focused on certian atletes such as Mohammed Ali, Jesse Owens, etc and the harships they faced during thier playing carrer. The book was an eye openig expirence and I highly recommed this book.

Many other reviewers have noted that William Rhoden's basic premise is thought-provoking and well-argued. I agree. But Rhoden makes his point with a ton of repetition and a great deal of exaggeration -- thus weakening a well-researched and deeply-felt book.

From my perspective, Rhoden's most interesting point is about the integration of major college and professional sports in the 1950s-1960s. While integration is portrayed as an almost purely beneficial act, Rhoden shows that integration in this case meant absorption of the entire black sports infrastructure -- which created some negative consequences.

However, while I agree with this line of argument, Rhoden takes it too far. He basically says that integration had no positive effects for the black community, which is preposterous. And he cites statistics that don't seem to support his contention. For example, he writes that blacks filled 10% of NCAA sports administrative positions at major colleges in the 1990s. But blacks are 13% of the population, so what's the problem? The number doesn't seem far offline to me.

Thus, Rhoden's constant refrain about the "racist sports-industrial complex" (his phrase) is a little hard to believe. Pretty much everyone at the time thought integration was a good idea. And it's far from clear that not having a great football team at Morgan State University (where Rhoden played) today is the reason that inner-city Baltimore is a hellhole. I think there are bigger factors.

So, read the book and learn from William Rhoden. But you can read the first half of each chapter and skip the second half, which is usually a rehash (often with the exact same phrases and sentences).

I thought the book was great. Its a good historical tool in terms of Afican-Americans in sports. People who do not like the book obviously never read it from start to finish.
Rhoden does a great job in showing the correlation between the negro athlete of slavery times to the African-American athlete of today. One black man who is making 10 million dollars for himself is making 20 million or more for a white business men. A handful of black millionaires doesn't negate the fact that there are millions of black people in the world that are being exploited for other peoples gain. A must read.

William Rhoden pulls no punches in this Powerful book that examines the Black Athlete&how little the Black Athlete especially the Modern day excepts as a Payment which is peanuts for all the pandering to the cameras that goes on. meaning if you can't cross-Over then the game ain't gonna put alot of money on you. interesting on how Rhoden touches on the Cross- Over torch being passed from OJ Simpson to Michael Jordan. the Money buys off alot of athletes from talking or dealing with constant Social injustices that continue to happen some 400 plus years. Sports is the great escape, the great equalizer,but when the game is over how many Black folks are allowed to call the shots? the sports world while highly enjoyable is still another form of a Plantation. Rhoden does a great job at breaking all of that down&how the strides of the Athletes in the 60's&early 70's got Watered down from the 80's till now. this Book basically says that once these Athletes are paid&what have you then alot of these cats become Mute&these Masters/Owners are the Remote Control.

It is likely no author in American history has ever written such an insightful and skillful exploration of the meaning and the reality of American sports for African Americans,for us all, from the days of Slavery until today. If you want to understand and appreciate sports in these United States you MUST read this groundbreaking book.

The review W. Small is objecting to is a perfectly legitimate review, despite the fact that Small disagrees with it. Small is simply reviewing a review. Small's failure to comprehend the clearly written review that offers an analysis of the book and a critique of the fundamental premise should not justify his waste of bandwidth here. His woeful misuse of the term "racist" should also qualify as slanderous toward another reviewer.

Although I am somewhat of a sports fan, and certainly an avid reader, $40 MILLION DOLLAR SLAVES: THE RISE, FALL AND REDEMPTION OF THE BLACK ATHELETE by William Rhoden, is not the kind of book I would ordinarily read, but after hearing about the last 3 minutes worth of debate centered around the book on a sports talk show, it caught my attention. The book is fairly well written, and does accurately credit the advent of black athletes in professional sports, ala Jackie Robinson, with having an enormous impact on civil rights evolution. Rhoden also gives an accurate accounting of the difficulties early black athletes endured making the transition into predominately white professional sports.

That's all well and good and has earned the author two stars in my book. This would have scored higher had it been a rendering of the history of black athletes in America, but the author's liberty in comparing professional athletes to slavery is beyond absurd and is demeaning to generations of blacks who endured the callous, degrading and insufferable institution of slavery. Let's look at the facts here, shall we? Most professional black athletes are privilege to four years of free college education, because of their God given talent. This is an opportunity few people of any race are afforded, and certainly no slaves were ever afforded this luxury. They are then given the utmost in medical attention. Only a miniscule handful of actual slaves ever had the benefit of actually seeing a real doctor just one time in their lives. They retire to labor union pensions amounting to more money annually than most Americans will make in their lifetimes. Sorry, but the Cotton Picker's Union of America never existed!

This whole thing just rubs me the wrong way. Athletes are spoiled rotten. If they don't appreciate the opportunities they are given, and many of them don't, then they are welcome to walk away from it and try earning a living and supporting their families like the rest of the world. Rhoden attempted to show his great compassion for black America by making a politically correct analogy and failed miserably. In the end, his insulting comparison will do far more harm to black athletes than it will do them good by portraying them as being self absorbed and filled with self pity for their `exploitation' in life. Sit down and shut up! There are thousands more black athletes, perhaps not quite as gifted, who would gladly take your place and be treated like slaves.

I feel that Laurie Kunkel's review should be removed because it is very obvious in her remarks that she is a racist and hasn't read the book. EVERYONE has problems or has felt mistreated or disregarded in some way, therefore, reading the book would require an open mind versus someone assuming that this is just another black person complaining.

The subtext -- that only black athletes are enslaved -- just doesn't make sense. Plus, Rhoden is narrowly looking at African-American athletes. What about all the soccer players? And one could convincingly argue that those thousands of multi-millionaire black athletes have, through their unions, indeed altered and do control the game in which they play. Unforgettable title though.

Who exactly is forcing these people to go down the road of competitive, for pay athletics? And what exactly is stopping these multi millionaire athletes from becoming owners themselves? Starting a new league? Branching off into other enterprises that would create opportunities for others? The athlete, with rare exceptions, enters into these agreements with universities and pro sports teams of their own free will, and if they don't prepare economically for a future that doesn't include pro sports, they have no one but themselves to blame. Rhoden wishes these athletes were "slaves" so people would more buy in to his spew about racism in society...doesn't seem like the "unfairness" he laments hurt the pursuit of his dreams any...

Because of the distorted context in which this subject has been presented, I can say nothing good about this book. Under this convoLuted resoning, would Black athLetes be any Less a slave under BLack ownership? I think not. WouLd White athLetes be sLaves under BLack ownership? I think so. By it's very nature, whoever you work for you are selling your Labor for money. Does that make you a slave because the one you work for is not of the same race as you are? This book is 100% BS.

Great book! Very well written and easy to follow. All black athletes of all ages should read this book to understand the need for black leadership in sports. The book isnt just about the plight of the black athlete but gives suggestions on how to improve the situation. Power.