Running While Black : : Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn't Built for us

Locations
Call Number: 796.42 De, Black Studies 796.42 De, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Sports / Running
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	796.42 De	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Black Studies 796.42 De	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Sports / Running	4-week checkout	On Shelf

The only -- White space -- Belonging -- Lost -- A marathoner -- Outside -- A place for us -- Reframing -- Purpose -- Puzzle pieces -- Meaning thru movement -- We were there -- Inclusion/Exclusion -- Life and death -- Confronting whiteness -- Running while black -- The unbearable whiteness of running -- Doing the work -- Endurance -- Everything is connected -- Reimagining the run -- Epilogue: Reclaiming.
"A searing exposé on the whiteness of running, a supposedly egalitarian sport, and a call to reimagine the industry "Runners know that running brings us to ourselves. But for Black people, the simple act of running has never been so simple. It is a declaration of the right to move through the world. If running is claiming public space, why, then, does it feel like a negotiation?" Running saved Alison Désir's life. At rock bottom and searching for meaning and structure, Désir started marathon training, finding that it vastly improved both her physical and mental health. Yet as she became involved in the community and learned its history, she realized that the sport was largely built with white people in mind. Running While Black draws on Désir's experience as an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate to explore why the seemingly simple, human act of long distance running for exercise and health has never been truly open to Black people. Weaving historical context-from the first recreational running boom to the horrific murder of Ahmaud Arbery-together with her own story of growth in the sport, Désir unpacks how we got here and advocates for a world where everyone is free to safely experience the life-changing power of movement. As America reckons with its history of white supremacy across major institutions, Désir argues that, as a litmus test for an inclusive society, the fitness industry has the opportunity to lead the charge-fulfilling its promise of empowerment"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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Table of Contents
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Every Runner Must Read submitted by khrobinson on July 25, 2023, 10:22pm This debut book by Alison Mariella Desir is part history, part sociology, part memoir, and entirely excellent. She tells the history of distance running in the US and the ways that Black runners were excluded from the sport and from the narrative about who runs. This is juxtaposed with her personal story of finding meaning on the run and running as an advocacy/activist approach. A must must read for every runner, but non-runners would enjoy as well.