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When I passed the Statue of Liberty I became Black / Harry Edward ; edited by Neil Duncanson.

Van Pelt Library E184.B7 A3 2024
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Edward, H. F. V., 1898-1973, author.
Contributor:
Duncanson, Neil, editor.
Rosengarten Family Fund.
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Edward, H. F. V., 1898-1973.
Edward, H. F. V.
Athletes, Black--United States--Biography.
Athletes, Black.
British--United States--Biography.
British.
Theatrical producers and directors--United States--Biography.
Theatrical producers and directors.
Olympic athletes--Biography.
Olympic athletes.
Civil rights movements--United States.
Civil rights movements.
Physical Description:
x, 293 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Place of Publication:
New Haven ; London : Yale University Press, [2024]
Summary:
"After winning Olympic medals for Britain in 1920, Harry Edward (1898-1973) decided to try his luck in America. The country he found was full of thrilling opportunity and pervasive racism. Immensely capable and energetic, Harry rubbed shoulders with kings and presidents, was influential in the revival of Black theatre during the Harlem Renaissance, and became a passionate humanitarian and advocate for child welfare. He was present at some of the twentieth century's most significant moments, worked alongside W. E. B. Du Bois and Orson Welles, and witnessed two world wars and the civil rights movement. Yet he was frustrated at almost every turn. Toward the end of his life he set down his story, crafting this memoir of athletics and activism, race and racism on both sides of the Atlantic. His manuscript went unpublished until now. This is the deeply engaging tale of Edward's life--and a moving testament to his drive to form a better world"-- Publisher's website.
Contents:
Introduction / Neil Duncanson
Discovery of America
Searching for a job
Sucked into the vortext of World War I
Ruhleben internment camp
Opening the gates to freedom
Athletics and the olympics: A vehicle for self-expression
The royal AAA championships
The new world
Fighting school segregation
Marginally employed in the depression
The negro theatre: Road to self-respect
Enforcing equality: Rationing and price control
Joining the United Nations and revisiting England
Assignment to Greece
Passing the Statue of Liberty once again
Back to Germany with the United Nations
A new Europe
Reunited with the statue of liberty
Asia and the specter of McCarthy
Breaking point
Korea and Viet Nam
Back home to a soul-crushing event
The limited horizon of the employment service
International relations: Theory and practie
Exit colonialism: Enter a new changing world
Appendix: Harry Edward's racing career.
Local Notes:
Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rosengarten Family Fund.
ISBN:
9780300270976
0300270976
OCLC:
1394974004

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