Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field

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A bold and impassioned meditation on injustice in America that punctures the illusion of post-racism in our country and in sports by interrogating both as places where authoritarianism looms large. Whether the issues are protest, labor, patriotism, or class division, it is clear that sports are no longer simply fun and games. Rather, they are a hotbed of fractures that define their respective industries and provide allegories for society at large. It is this spirit of sports and societal intersectionality that informs the nine essays--all original--in Full Dissidence. In three parts--Protest, Belonging, and Corruption---Bryant writes about what Colin Kaepernick exposed in our culture, the militarization of sports, police propaganda, the corporate assault on civil liberties, the collisions of race and identity, and the kleptocracy that has forced America to ask itself if its beliefs of freedom and democracy are more than just words. We see it in sports, through the player-owner relationship, and we see it more broadly in our national government. Famous, millionaire black athletes, for example, seem powerful. But how powerful are they really when they are not allowed to speak And when they lose their careers if they do Additionally, Bryant unpacks how being torn away from the roots of the Black community in order to achieve the myth of "more" or "better" is deeply consequential, especially today. In a time when authoritarianism is creeping into our lives and is being embraced in our politics, advocating for black and brown communities is riskier. Powerful, popular people of color may think they can navigate this terrain with their money and their fame. They cannot. That's never been more clear than now. Perched firmly at the intersection of sports, politics and pop culture, Full Dissidence speaks to the continued influence of sports in the mainstream in a way that is at once brilliant and arresting.

Reviews

A series of forceful, justifiably angry essays connected by the theme of white supremacy negating the full citizenship of black Americans . . . . Another illuminating social and cultural critique from an important contemporary voice.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Senior ESPN writer Bryant showcases why he is one of the most talented writers of this generation in thoughtful essays . . . [an] in-depth analysis and examination of issues. Highly recommended: Bryant is a masterful writer and a voice of this generation. His passion and analysis on important topics is unparalleled.
Library Journal, Starred Review

Not much comfort here, only light.
Booklist

[A] wide-ranging and sharp-edged essay collection . . . .Bryants informed analyses and righteous anger transform sports into a valuable lens and tool for examining and combatting racism. Progressive sports fans will heed this incisive cri de coeur.
Publishers Weekly

This collection of essays is everything I hold dear, a searing rejection of everything racist America holds dear inside and outside the lines. Howard Bryant does not hold back in his withering and thoughtful dissections and rejections of the racial politics of athletics and the athletic politics of race. This book is an oracle.
Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist

This book is a wonder. Bryant tells daring truths about our culture and societyand explores, in all its complexity, what it means to navigate and struggle against injustice and a deeply divided world.
Naomi Klein, author of On Fire and This Changes Everything

Howard Bryants writing is lucid and purposeful, weaving politics and powerful critiques of the racial and gendered hierarchies that rule the world of high-stakes professional sports throughout his gripping prose. Sports may be his starting point, but Bryant is attacking capitalist culture and its infiltration into all aspects of our lives, including the games we love to watch to get away from it all.
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation

To call Full Dissidence fiery would miss the point. Its passion is matched by precision. Howard Bryant has written a stirring tour de force that places important issues of sports in the proper context of their current times and historical precedent, and the result is a book that will be read for years to come as we try to make sense of these chaotic times.
Bomani Jones, co-host, High Noon

This is exceptional. The facts of where we are, are laid out. Howards opinions are not baseless or overreactions but based on facts that confirm every assertion he makes. Full Dissidence is a compelling book.
Joe Dumars, three-time NBA champion, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

Author Bio

Howard Bryant is a senior writer for ESPN the Magazine and is a correspondent for NPR's Weekend Edition. He has won several awards for his excellence in commentary writing. His books include The Heritage, Juicing the Game, and The Last Hero. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. Connect with him at howardbryant.net and on Twitter (@fulldissident).