- Zinn Education Project

Dave Zirin

Profile. People's history of sports author and commentator.

A Wichita Beacon article lists the ground rules for the game.

June 21, 1925: Black Baseball Team Beats Klan Players

The Wichita Monrovians bested a squad fielded by the white-supremacist Ku Klux Klan terrorist organization at the height of Jim Crow apartheid.

Tigerbelle: The Wyomia Tyus Story

Book — Non-fiction. By Wyomia Tyus and Elizabeth Terzakis. 2018. 288 pages.
A young adult sports history that chronicles the life of Wyomia Tyus, the daughter of a tenant dairy farmer, who became the first person to win gold medals in the 100-meter sprint in two consecutive Olympic Games.

April 7, 1954: Norfolk’s African American Baseball Fans Win Desegregation Victories

A successful boycott of the Norfolk Tars by Black sports fans leads the team to desegregate both the players and stadium seating.

Members of the Black 14 holding a sign during their protest

Oct. 17, 1969: 14 Black Student Athletes Fired at Hint of Protest

Fourteen Black football players at the University of Wyoming were fired when their coach learned they wanted to wear black armbands during a game against Brigham Young University.

May 8, 1959: Mexican American Communities Evicted

Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop were close-knit Mexican American communities that were destroyed in the 1950s to make way for Dodger Stadium.

Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson

Book — Non-fiction. Written and illustrated by Sharon Rudahl. Edited by Paul Buhle and Lawrence Ware. 2020. 142 pages.
The first-ever graphic biography of Paul Robeson charts Robeson’s career as a singer, actor, scholar, athlete, and activist who achieved global fame.

Dec. 31, 1972: Roberto Clemente Dies

Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash while traveling at great risk in response to urgent requests to deliver help to earthquake devastated Nicaragua.

June 4, 1967: Muhammad Ali Summit

African American athletes gathered to support Muhammed Ali’s refusal to serve in Vietnam.

Jack Johnson fighting Jim Jeffries, Reno, 1910. Source: Nevada Historical Society.

July 4, 1910: Jack Johnson Defeats James J. Jeffries

African American heavyweight champion Jack Johnson successfully defended his title by knocking out James J. Jeffries, who had come out of retirement “to win back the title for the White race” in Reno, Nevada.

Nov. 7, 1985: Court Ruling in Wrongful Case Against Rubin “Hurricane” Carter

U.S. District Court Judge handed down his decision to free Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who had been wrongfully accused of murder.

April 22, 2004: Football Star Pat Tillman Killed in Afghanistan

Football star and soldier Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. The U.S. government used his death in pro-war propaganda.

Caribbean Connections: The Dominican Republic

Book — Non-fiction and Fiction. Edited by Gallin, Glasser, Santana. 2005. 250 pages.
Reader-friendly overview of the history, politics, and culture of the fourth largest Latino community in the United States.

ing Title (This Day in History) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Feb. 25, 1964: Muhammad Ali Won the Heavyweight Boxing Title

In Miami Beach, Florida, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.) won the heavyweight boxing championship title at the age of 22.

The Missouri Tigers and the Hidden History of Black College Football Activists

Article. By Dave Zirin. 2015.
The protest by the University of Missouri football team placed in the context of a long history of activism by college athletes.

Teaching Activity by Dave Zirin

Muhammad Ali June20 | Zinn Education Project

June 20, 1967: Muhammad Ali Convicted for Refusing the Vietnam Draft

Muhammad Ali was convicted for refusing induction in the U.S. armed forces.

Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports

Film. By Dave Zirin and Jeremy Earp. 2010. 62 minutes.
A documentary based on the bestselling book A People's History of Sports in the United States, Zirin demonstrates that American sports have long been at the center of some of the major political debates and struggles of our time. For 6th grade to adult.

Teaching Activity by Dave Zirin

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Picture book. By Kadir Nelson. 2008. 96 pages.
The story of Negro League baseball, in text and stunning imagery.

A People’s History of Sports in the United States

Book — Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. 2009. 302 pages.
U.S. history through the lens of sports.

Teaching Activity by Dave Zirin

Chávez Ravine: A Record by Ry Cooder

Songs. By Ry Cooder. 2005. 70 minutes.
The story of the Chicano community bulldozed to pave the way for the Dodger Stadium in Santa Monica, told through bilingual songs.

Americans Who Tell the Truth

Website. Portraits by Robert Shetterly and biographies of individuals who have taken a stand for justice.

Edge of Sports: Dave Zirin

Website. News about the intersection of sports and politics.

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow

Book — Fiction. By James Sturm and Rich Tommaso with an introduction by Gerald Early. 2007. 96 pages.
Told from the point of view of a sharecropper, this narrative in graphic novel format follows baseball champion Satchel Paige as he travels throughout the segregated South.

A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson

Book — Non-fiction. By Michelle Y. Green. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. 2004. 128 pages.
A biography on one of only three women to play baseball in the Negro Leagues.

Brazil’s Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Fight for Democracy

Book — Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. 2016. 276 pages.
Examines the cultural, economic, and political context and impact of the World Cup and the Olympics on Brazil.

Teaching Activity by Dave Zirin

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