On this episode, we are joined by Dr. Louis Moore, professor of History and African American Studies at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Dr. Moore is working on two upcoming books. The first is titled, Beyond the Battle Royal, and will be released by the University of Illinois Press next year. It is about black men in the early twentieth century in the US who turned to boxing for full-time employment, and why and how they asserted their manhood inside and outside of the ring. It also explores how the black middle class and whites saw this participation. It’s a lot about racial uplift on the one hand, and racial anxieties on the other. His other book will be drafted by the end of the year but the publication date is still being determined. This one will be about black athletes, the black community, and the Civil Rights Movement. It’s being published by Praeger.

Dr. Moore has written for Vocativ about the intersection of race and sport. His Twitter page is @loumoore12 (and he is a MUST FOLLOW).

Among other topics on the podcast, we discuss:

• American racial dynamics revealed by black boxers in the late 19th and early 20th century
• The role of African-American newspapers in documenting black culture
• Colin Kaepernick and the current wave of athletes’ protests
• Athletes’ obligations to take a position on social issues
• Thoughts on US racial reconciliation going forward

Some articles that give context to our conversation:

• Let LeBron James Practice Activism On His Own Terms (Vocativ)
• Tracking the Kaepernick Effect: The anthem protests are spreading (ThinkProgress)
• Beyond racism? A look at Newton’s changing stance on race as Kaepernick heads to town (Sports Illustrated)
• Don’t argue about Kaepernick’s protest, just solve the problem (The Undefeated)
• Colin Kaepernick and the Question of Who Gets to Be Called a ‘Patriot’ (New York Times)