The Black Bruins: The Remarkable Lives of UCLA's Jackie Robinson, Woody Strode, Tom Bradley, Kenny Washington, and Ray Bartlett

The Black Bruins chronicles the inspirational lives of five African American athletes who faced racial discrimination as teammates at UCLA in the late 1930s. Best known among them was Jackie Robinson, a four-star athlete for the Bruins who went on to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball and become a leader in the civil rights movement after his retirement. Joining him were Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Ray Bartlett, and Tom Bradley-the four played starring roles in an era when fewer than a dozen major colleges had black players on their rosters. This rejection of the "gentleman's agreement," which kept teams from fielding black players against all-white teams, inspired black Angelinos and the African American press to adopt the teammates as their own. Kenny Washington became the first African American player to sign with an NFL team in the post-World War II era and later became a Los Angeles police officer and actor. Woody Strode, a Bruins football and track star, broke into the NFL with Washington in 1946 as a Los Angeles Ram and went on to act in at least fifty-seven full-length feature films. Ray Bartlett, a football, basketball, baseball, and track athlete, became the second African American to join the Pasadena Police Department, later donating his time to civic affairs and charity. Tom Bradley, a runner for the Bruins' track team, spent twenty years fighting racial discrimination in the Los Angeles Police Department before being elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Prologue 1. No Bed of Roses in Pasadena 2. The Kingfish and Woody 3. The High School Years 4. The Little Brother 5. Obstacles to Overcome 6. A Sorry Season 7. An Easy Choice 8. Fitting in at UCLA 9. Under-the-Table Help 10. Filling the Coffers 11. High Expectations 12. A Disappointing End to the Season 13. Decision Time 14. Passed Over by the NFL 15. The Indispensable Robinson 16. World War II Beckons 17. Moving Up in the Ranks 18. Making NFL History 19. The Negro League Years 20. End of the Line at LAPD 21. Leaving Athletics 22. Movie Star in the Making 23. A Promotion Earned 24. Blending In 25. Changing Los Angeles 26. The Civil Rights Years 27. Their Legacy Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
James W. Johnson is professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He is the author of several books, including The Dandy Dons: Bill Russell, K. C. Jones, Phil Woolpert, and One of College Basketball’s Greatest and Most Innovative Teams (Bison Books, 2009) and The Wow Boys: A Coach, a Team, and a Turning Point in College Football (Bison Books, 2006).  

Review :
“Must-reading for anyone who would truly understand the foundations of activism among black athletes today and their evolved sense of a broader role and obligation in society beyond athletic proficiency and performance.”-Harry Edwards, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley   “Five African American men enrolled at UCLA in the late 1930s, touching off a revolution in collegiate sports, introducing integration to Major League Baseball and pro football, and bringing diversity to public life. This well-researched, engrossing account brings four athletes into sharp focus as they move from high-school and university athletic fame to national and regional prominence and groundbreaking civic and social achievement.”-Jim Price, editor, writer, and sports historian   “Those who came before me, detailed in this book, paved the way not only for my life as a minority student-athlete and later athletic director at UCLA; they also provided the opportunity for future generations of Bruins from every walk of life to become barrier-breakers as well.”-Dan Guerrero, director of athletics at UCLA    “A beautifully written narrative describing how the talent and determination of five remarkable African Americans had such a great impact on history. This book should win awards.”-Dave Baldwin, genetic researcher and systems engineer and former major league pitcher