Blood, Sweat, and Tears

July 12, 2019

Written for an academic audience, this ambitious, thoroughly researched volume by White (history, Dartmouth Coll.) is a biography of Hall of Fame college coach Jake Gaither (1903-94), a chronicle of football history of his institution, Florida A&M, and, more broadly, of college football at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). All of this is done in light of the civil rights movement, which was also the halcyon days of football at HBCUs with powerful programs at Florida A&M, Grambling, Southern, Prairie View, Tennessee State, and Morgan State that competed with one another in the drive for excellence. A major point here is that the push for equality and integration was a double-edged sword that came with a price; the success of the civil rights movement decimated the thriving black-built institution of HBCU athletics that was particularly attuned to the needs of black students. VERDICT A valuable resource for future scholars and for anyone interested in black college football.--John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ.-Camden Lib., NJ

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2019
Football at historically Black colleges and universities was at its peak in the 25 years after WWII, and the leading team virtually every year was Florida A&M (or FAMU), led by legendary head coach Jake Gaither. White includes plenty of football action, but he is more concerned with the larger issue of the relationship between segregation and integration and the role played by Black colleges. Gaither compiled a record of 204-36-4 from 1945 through 1969, one of the best college records of any coach at any school, but his public life was difficult. His success raised expectations for the program to almost unsustainable levels. Tallahassee, where FAMU is located, was swept up in the mid-fifties civil rights movement with sit-ins at local restaurants and clashes with the police. Gaither, like many teachers and administrators at Black colleges, whose jobs were dependent on state government funding, stayed clear of the conflict, drawing criticism from activists that he didn't use his stature to advance the cause. Sensitively analyzing the issues, White delivers a full-bodied portrait of a coach who found himself in a difficult position. This fascinating social history effectively uses mid-twentieth-century Black college football as a microcosm through which one can understand the larger civil rights struggle. An important contribution to sports history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)