About the book
Named a top 50 baseball book of all time by the Huffington Post
Named 2013 Best Book on Journalism and Mass Communication History by the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Named a top book for 2012 by Choice
The campaign to desegregate baseball was one of the most important civil rights stories of the 1930s and 1940s. But most of white America knew nothing about this story because mainstream newspapers said little about the color line and still less about the efforts to end it. Even today, as far as most Americans know, the integration of baseball revolved around Branch Rickey’s signing of Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ organization in 1945. This book shows how Rickey’s move, critical as it may have been, came after more than a decade of work by Black and left-leaning journalists to desegregate the game.
Drawing on hundreds of newspaper articles and interviews with journalists, Chris Lamb reveals how differently Black and white newspapers, and Black and white America, viewed racial equality. Between 1933 and 1945, Black newspapers and the communist Daily Worker published hundreds of articles and editorials calling for an end to baseball’s color line, while white mainstream sportswriters perpetuated the color line by participating in what their Black counterparts called a “conspiracy of silence.” The alternative presses’ efforts to end baseball’s color line, chronicled for the first time in Conspiracy of Silence, constitute one of the great untold stories of baseball—and the civil rights movement.
Editions of Conspiracy of Silence
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781496229373
Read an Excerpt
Named a top 50 baseball book of all time by the Huffington Post
Named 2013 Best Book on Journalism and Mass Communication History by the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Named a top book for 2012 by Choice
The campaign to desegregate baseball was one of the most important civil rights stories of the 1930s and 1940s. But most of white America knew nothing about this story because mainstream newspapers said little about the color line and still less about the efforts to end it. Even today, as far as most Americans know, the integration of baseball revolved around Branch Rickey’s signing of Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ organization in 1945. This book shows how Rickey’s move, critical as it may have been, came after more than a decade of work by Black and left-leaning journalists to desegregate the game.
Drawing on hundreds of newspaper articles and interviews with journalists, Chris Lamb reveals how differently Black and white newspapers, and Black and white America, viewed racial equality. Between 1933 and 1945, Black newspapers and the communist Daily Worker published hundreds of articles and editorials calling for an end to baseball’s color line, while white mainstream sportswriters perpetuated the color line by participating in what their Black counterparts called a “conspiracy of silence.” The alternative presses’ efforts to end baseball’s color line, chronicled for the first time in Conspiracy of Silence, constitute one of the great untold stories of baseball—and the civil rights movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Conspiracy of Silence about?
Named a top 50 baseball book of all time by the Huffington Post
Named 2013 Best Book on Journalism and Mass Communication History by the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Named a top book for 2012 by Choice
The campaign to desegregate baseball was one of the most important civil rights stories of the 1930s and 1940s. But most of white America knew nothing about this story because mainstream newspapers said little about the color line and still less about the efforts to end it. Even today, as far as most Americans know, the integration of baseball revolved around Branch Rickey’s signing of Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ organization in 1945. This book shows how Rickey’s move, critical as it may have been, came after more than a decade of work by Black and left-leaning journalists to desegregate the game.
Drawing on hundreds of newspaper articles and interviews with journalists, Chris Lamb reveals how differently Black and white newspapers, and Black and white America, viewed racial equality. Between 1933 and 1945, Black newspapers and the communist Daily Worker published hundreds of articles and editorials calling for an end to baseball’s color line, while white mainstream sportswriters perpetuated the color line by participating in what their Black counterparts called a “conspiracy of silence.” The alternative presses’ efforts to end baseball’s color line, chronicled for the first time in Conspiracy of Silence, constitute one of the great untold stories of baseball—and the civil rights movement.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Conspiracy of Silence?
Sports and Active outdoor recreation > Ball sports / ball games > Baseball
Where can I read a sample of Conspiracy of Silence?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781496229373
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Conspiracy of Silence?
Chris Lamb
Who is the Publisher of the book Conspiracy of Silence?
Nebraska
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Conspiracy of Silence is available as paperback(ISBN 9781496229373)
Where can I buy Conspiracy of Silence online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Conspiracy of Silence?