Before They Let Us Play Vol. 4 — Rings, Lanes, and Podiums: Boxing, Track, and the Olympic Stage (Standard Companion Edition — EPUB)

In the sports where one person stands alone — a ring, a lane, a podium — Black athletes produced some of the most politically explosive victories in American sports. Jack Johnson of Galveston, Texas, took the heavyweight title on December 26, 1908; his career record is printed here only as sourced variance, because the sources disagree and this series never prints one bare total as settled. Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling at 2:04 of the first round on June 22, 1938. Jesse Owens won four gold medals at Berlin in 1936. Tommie Smith ran 19.83 seconds in Mexico City in 1968. And Muhammad Ali gave up his prime years rather than go, then won his title back — told straight, with legend labeled legend.

All 6 chapters, each closing with its sources and method note, in the clean EPUB edition — readable on any e-reader, tablet, or phone. The Interactive Edition (separate listing) adds recorded narration by Marcus, the timeline, and the educator quiz. The chapters: Jack Johnson — The First Black Heavyweight Champion · Joe Louis and the Fight That Was a War · Jesse Owens, Berlin, 1936 · The Sprinters Between Owens and the Sixties · Mexico City, 1968 — The Gloves on the Podium · Muhammad Ali — The Champion Who Would Not Go. They built their own game. Then they took the whole game. Edition and price: Standard Companion Edition — EPUB $9.99 (this listing) · Interactive Edition $14.99 (separate listing). A TEKS correlation sheet for this volume is available with the Before They Let Us Play Educator materials.