Showdown: JFK and the Integration of the Washington Redskins

(Paperback)

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A classic NFL/civil rights story-the showdown between the Washington Redskins and the Kennedy White House In Showdown, sports historian Thomas G. Smith captures a striking moment, one that held sweeping implications not only for one team's racist policy but also for a sharply segregated city and for the nation as a whole. Part sports history, part civil rights story, this compelling and untold narrative serves as a powerful lens onto racism in sport, illustrating how, in microcosm, the fight to desegregate the Redskins was part of a wider struggle against racial injustice in America.

Reviews

Full of colorful detail.James Sullivan, Boston Globe

Smith skillfully follows two narrativesthe founding and growth of the Redskins franchise and the move to integrate pro footballuntil they collide in 1961.The Sunday News

A classic gridiron tale for history junkies and avid sports fans alike.Phillip Hoose, author of Hoosiers

Thoroughly researched does a fine job of filling in this bleak episode on our cultural history.Michael Tomasky, The New York Review of Books

In a fascinating narrative, indefatigable team owner George Marshall is an aging football lion surprised to find himself backed into a corner by the gathering forces of a new era.John Eisenberg, author of That First Season

Author Bio

Author of two books, Thomas G. Smith is a member of the history program at Nichols College. He lives in Dudley, Massachusetts, and is a fervent fan of the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Dodgers.