Martha's Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class

(Paperback)

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Description

Year round on Marthas Vineyard Island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, residents and vacationers have played basketballalmost since the game was invented. The Oak Bluffs summer league on the Island was innovative, ethnically diverse, welcomed female players, and fostered thousands of friendships. President Obama, NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving, and Family Matters sitcom star Jaleel White have all played basketball on Marthas Vineyard, as did future college stars, authors, war heroes, and entrepreneurs. Their stories touch current events from World War I through the Civil Rights Movementand even include the filming of the blockbuster Jaws. Marthas Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class follows the rich history of basketball on the Island and tells the stories of the players and coaches themselves. During the heyday of Marthas Vineyard basketball in the 1970s and 80s, the courts provided a place for friendships that looked past social class and racea unique situation given that nearby cities such as Boston were sites of violent demonstrations against integration. Original interviews with those who were there not only reveal the racial dynamics on Marthas Vineyard, but also relate amusing anecdotes of encounters with celebrities that include Charles Lindbergh, James Cagney, Frank Sinatra, and future star James Taylor. Marthas Vineyard Basketball reveals little-known aspects of the Island, shares the realities and triumphs of residents and vacationers alike, and demonstrates the unifying power of basketball. New Englanders, basketball fans, and those interested in race and class relations will all find this book a noteworthy account of a singular place.

Reviews

Why not prepare for the end of winter and the beginning of spring with a good book Bijan C. Bayne's Martha's Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class . . . will inspire, motivate and entertain you. * BET (Black Entertainment Television) *
Marthas Vineyard may not be commonly regarded as a basketball mecca. But Bijan Baynes new book Marthas Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied the Notions of Race and Class puts it on the map. . . .The award winning author incorporates recollections of his family with anecdotes and eyewitness impressions from other longtime residents. Marthas Vineyard Basketball is a homespun narrative of the storied lore of Massachusetts roundball that reinforces the notion that no man is an island. * SLAM Magazine *
We have long known about tolerant race relations here. Now we have the chance to understand basketballs contribution to Vineyard culture, and also its long history here. . . .Everyone involved in Vineyard basketball should read the book. You just might find your name in it. * Martha's Vineyard Gazette *
The narrative weaves connections between politicians, NBA stars Ray Allen and Julius Erving, TV stars, and local athletes and coaches, in a manner that blurs degrees of separation. . . .Marthas Vineyard Basketball is a folksy read. The reader can hear the story being told. If you are one of the hundred-plus people named in this book, youre in for a great trip down Memory Lane. If you like an authentic retelling of American life in the 1960s and 1970s, youll enjoy this one as well. * Martha's Vineyard Times *
[The book is] a reminder of how rare it was (and is) for a playground to be full of people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. Rare, and vital. * Martha's Vineyard Magazine *
Martha's Vineyard Basketball is more than a just history of basketball on the hard court and pavement of a small slice of Massachusetts. It captures a place and past time with a depth of detail and feeling that can be summed up in one simple word: love. -- Karyn Parsons, actor, writer, and producer
In an era of extreme racial segregation in the 1950s, and racial rage and uprisings in the late 1960s and early 1970s, African Americans and whites came together not by race, but by basketball skill. This is an absolutely fascinating read about a little-known chapter in both the history of Marthas Vineyard and an unusual example of racial harmony. Marthas Vineyard has always been a special place for vacationers. Who knew that it was also a special place for basketball players! -- Julianne Malveaux, economist and author
Bijan Bayne's book about Martha's Vineyard is fascinating and captures the essence of the Vineyard. My wife and I were told about the Vineyard many years ago and have moved from visiting the Vineyard to owning a home in Oak Bluffs. When I think of the Vineyard, I recall meeting and representing Dorothy West there and hearing great stories about Black life on the Vineyard. Bijan's book captures the heart and soul of a great place to vacation, relax, read and raise a family. This book is not only a summer delight while relaxing on the beach, but a great read near your fireplace in the winter. -- Charles J. Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
[In this] passionately-written history. . . .Bayne demonstrates an impressive memory, vividly recalling the minutest details about the games and players that inspired his love for Marthas Vineyard basketball. . . .Baynes authenticity in retelling the story of Marthas Vineyard basketball as well as his fervor for 'The Courts' transform . . . [a] history into somewhat of love note that basketball enthusiasts, New Englanders, non-academics, and nostalgic visitors to the island will enjoy. . . .Baynes chronicling of the summer resort league in Oak Bluffs . . . make for a remarkable account that evinces both the allure of Marthas Vineyard and the unifying power of basketball. * Sport in American History *

Author Bio

Bijan C. Bayne is an award-winning Washington-based freelance columnist and critic and a founding member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Herald, and SLAM, among others. Bayne is the author of Sky Kings: Black Pioneers of Professional Basketball, which was named to the Suggested Reading List of the Basketball Hall of Fame.